Flaming Desire
by Mamma4ever
Summary: Rose, Alice, and Bella work in the hospital ER. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett are firefighters who are brought to the ER one night when the girls are working. Sparks ignite. But will the flame remain when their love is tested? AH OOC Canon pairings
1. Ben and Jerry and Josh

I know you have heard it before. This is my first fanfic. Yadda, yadda, we don't need the boring details of who, what, when, where, or why.

I want to thank my totally awesome betas, Spellboundagain and Allysue08. My fic needed more meat—and no, I don't mean Edward's meat—and they helped make it possible.

FYI, yes, I know this moves fast, there is a reason for that. Please read my summary ;)

SM owns these characters. I own the computer that steals them…er borrows them *grin*

*Also, I am in the process of re-working these chapters. It's gonna take a while, but this is why some chapters have titles and some do not (and some are horribly awful and some are just a little less awful, lol)*

**Ben and Jerry and Josh**

BPOV

"God! I am so freaking horny!"

Without even looking up from painting her nails, Rose said, "Sorry, hun, as much as your dripping delta probably tastes divine, I'm not a vagitarian, strictly penivore. You are on your own."

"Rose!" I laughed. "Like I wanted _your _help! I don't want you anywhere near my pearly panty gates! I'm just craving some meat—I'm sick of taking matters into my own hands…literally."

"Hey, you're the one who suggested us taking a break from bumping uglies, so quit your complaining."

Suddenly, the front door swung open and we heard, "Hey hoes! Get your lazy asses up and help me with these bags!" Of course Alice would have her hands full of bags. When did she ever leave the house and not return with at least 5 shopping bags?

"Sorry, Spunky Brewster, nails are wet. Did you remember the Chunky Monkey?" Rose asked with a look that clearly said, _don't mess with me or you will go right back to the store._

"Like I would forget Ben and Jerry—they are the only two men allowed in the house, _Thank you, Bella!_" Alice sneered at me as I took three bags from her hands.

"Well, girls, you can't tell me you weren't getting sick of the toolsheds we kept ending up with. I am strictly trying to get us to broaden our horizons. However, I am afraid I might get carpal tunnel before its over."

"Not me!" Alice sang. "RR makes sure my median nerve doesn't get overworked while the nerve in my love tunnel gets plenty of work!"

Rose quirked her eyebrow, "RR?"

Alice grinned impishly, "Rampant rabbit!"

"Oh, right, I forgot, you like them bulky and awkward, while I prefer them sleek and discreet." Rose smiled an arrogant smile.

"Guys…do you have to get into your debate over your sex toys again? Can't we just drop the subject, this isn't helping my problem." I huffed while rooting through one of the shopping bags looking for the glorious life force called ice cream.

"What problem?" Alice asked, all concerned.

Rose busted out laughing, "She's horny! The very one who suggested sexual deprivation is so horny she can't see straight!"

I threw one of Alice's brand new high-heeled boots at Rose, making sure to aim several feet above her head.

"Hey! Not my shoes, slore! Throw something that doesn't cost $1000!" Alice grabbed her shoe and cradled it as if it were her first born child.

"Holy shit, Alice! $1000? How could you pay a freaking grand for a pair of shoes?" I screamed at her not knowing the first thing about why a stupid blue pair of boots would cost so much. I mean, yeah, they were adorable shoes, but geez, the most I have ever paid for shoes is $90, and I thought those were expensive!

"They aren't just a pair of shoes," Alice said with her eyes bugging out of her head. "They are Manolo Blahnik." she said in a tone of voice suggesting I should know what the heck that means.

"If you say so. Where are Ben and Jerry? Are you sure your precious Manolo didn't get jealous and kick them out of the car? I can't find the dang ice cream!" I was starting to get pissed about not having my Chocolate Therapy.

"Chill out! I put Ben and Jerry in their own special container. There's no way they were getting close to my Manolos!" She reached in her duffle-sized purse and pulled out one of those hot and cold bags smiling. "Chunky Monkey for you, Rosie; Chocolate Therapy for you, Bells; and glorious Cherry Garcia for me! Come to Mama."

I then cradled the tub of chocolate like it was _my _first-born child.

"At least you learned your lesson on Coffee, Coffee, BuzzBuzzBuzz, Spunkster." Rose laughed quietly.

"I still like it. I just won't eat it because of you guys….and the neighbor….and my boss." Alice mumbled.

Last time we had wanted ice cream Alice wanted to try the aforementioned flavor. That had been the first mistake. It wasn't 30 minutes later that Alice was doing front handsprings in our living room, meanwhile knocking over everything on our end tables. Trying to salvage what was left of our house, we had convinced her to go 'play' outside. Second mistake, right there. After doing ten front tucks, eight front aerials, seven side aerials, and 15 half twists (I only know these names because she had branded them in my brain for the last eight years—since apparently gymnastic flip names is the key to Fort Knox), I thought she had stopped because she was tuckered out. Boy was I wrong! No, she had stopped because she got a wild hair up her ass and thought the neighbors' trampoline was a better place to do her tricks.

She had run faster than I thought her tiny little legs could carry her over to their trampoline and jumped up on it without even touching the frame. She then continued her display of gymnast maneuvers right about the same time Jessica Newton pulled into her driveway with her three obnoxious little demons. They then jumped out, thinking that there was a new kid in the neighborhood doing totally cool flips on their trampoline. As they took off running towards the trampoline, little Mikey slipped and fell in a puddle of mud. Apparently he had been wearing his "Sunday best" because his mom flipped her lid once she noticed he was muddy. The other two children—I don't care to remember their names, the less I know of that crazy family, the better—jumped up on the trampoline with Alice. Alice, being more high strung than a ferret on crack, didn't even notice the kids had joined her and continued her bouncing and flouncing only to cause the smallest one to catapult off the trampoline, luckily (or maybe not so luckily depending on your perspective) landing in the swimming pool instead of on the hard ground. At this point, Jessica had begun screaming and running like a bat out of hell towards her daughter.

We had thought it best if we got Alice away from the scene of the crime before Jessica called the cops, so Rose and I ran to the trampoline to pull her off, but not before her elbow hit the older girl right in the eye. I was mortified and at that point, wondering why I had ever become friends with that little freak of nature. We had managed to grab her off the trampoline and started heading back to the house just as Jessica started screaming, "You bitch! Who do you think you are coming onto _my _property and using _my _things and hurting my children in the process? I am going to kill you!" She had started walking toward Alice with a look more menacing than the devil himself could make.

That had been Jessica's big mistake. You don't _ever, _and I mean _EVER, _call Rose or one of Rose's friend a bitch! Them's fighting words!

Rose had flounced over to Jessica, and standing 6 inches taller, looked down on her with a look even more menacing than Jessica, if you can believe that, and said, "Listen here, you floozy! If you EVER call her a bitch again, I will reach down your throat and pull out your ovaries, making damn well sure you never produce another spawn of Satan as long as you live! And I just DARE you to lay one of your filthy talons on her! Now, go tend to your children of the corn and don't even think about trying anything!" With that, Rose had turned her back to Jessica and grabbed Alice by the elbow and said, "You, my tiny psychotic spaz, are getting a time out!"

I had laughed, but immediately relaxed my face when Rose gave me her _You think this is funny? I'll show you funny! _look that I seem to remember getting a lot of from my mom when I was younger. Yeah, Rose's definitely worked better than Mom's did. I feel sorry for her children.

"You are so lucky you still have your job after the things you said to him on that phone call." Rose laughed, bringing me back to reality.

I jumped up and ran to the kitchen to grab spoons when my cell phone went off. I looked at the caller ID and groaned, knowing that our girl's night was just put on hold.

oOo

"I'm sorry! You think I would stand up Ben and Jerry if it wasn't mandatory?" I said while slipping on my Crocs.

"I just don't understand why they always call you in on your night off! I hate the ER!" Alice whined and slumped down on the couch.

Alice and I both worked at Seattle Grace Hospital in the ER, but for some reason—I think it is because I refused Dr. Yorkie's invitation to "surround his sausage with my taco" (seriously, who would agree to that when you put it that way?)—whenever they were short a resident, they would call me in. Every. Fucking. Time.

Rose also worked for Seattle Grace, but she was much higher on the food chain. Rose was a plastic and burn surgeon. She didn't have as many burn patients as she had patients needing some sort of reconstructive surgery. One thing about Rose, she would only work on patients who had injuries that caused them to be disfigured, believing that you shouldn't change the way God made you. A lot of people hated her for this, simply because she was a complete knockout. She was five foot nine inches of perfection. Gorgeous blond curly hair down to the middle of her back. Curves in all the right places. Legs that never ended. And the most beautiful icy blue eyes you would ever see. Yeah, everyone had a problem with Rose's rules about who she would operate on. They would tell her that if God hadn't made her so perfect she wouldn't be so against it. Only Alice and I knew that Rose hated her beauty and wished God would have split it with someone else. She didn't want to be ugly, but she wanted to be less desirable. She was sick of the looks everyone gave her—the jealous stares from girls never willing to be her friend because they figured all beautiful women were bitches, and the lusty looks from the horny, perverted men who thought all beautiful women were whores. I guess it is true that no matter what you look like you will never be 100% satisfied with yourself.

"Ok, girls, I shouldn't be long tonight, just a four hour shift, so we can still go for our run in the morning. Love ya chickas!" I shouted as I grabbed my duffle bag and keys by the front door.

"You too, Bellarina!" Alice said in her sing-song voice at the same time Rose gruffly said, "Back atcha bizzle."

I rushed out to my truck and hopped in, heading to my dreaded night of chaos at the hospital, wishing I could just curl up on the couch and watch 40 Days and 40 Nights with my girls like we planned. _I'm sorry Josh! I promise to spend time with you as soon as I can, my beautiful, perfect man! _

_God, tonight is going to suck._

"Bella! Thank God you're here!" Angela and her overdramatic self rushed up to me, enclosing me with a gentle, yet hurried hug, almost making me spill my triple espresso.

I giggled, "Hey Ang! Careful, you don't want hot coffee on your Spongebob scrubs, do you? Then you would have to wear some of my boring blue ones."

"Hey! No knocking Spongebob! He's the best babysitter money can buy!"

Angela had an adorable seven-year-old boy at home who just loved Spongebob. Whenever Angela had to study for her internship, all she had to do was play an episode of Spongebob that was saved on her DVR and she had hours of freedom.

"Walk with me to the locker room and fill me in on why exactly I am here." I said as I started walking past the nurses' desk.

"Well, Victoria was scheduled tonight; Riley fell down the steps and broke his leg in four places. James is out of town so he can't take care of him, so she had to stay home since the babysitter can't deal with Riley when he is in that much pain and crying all the time." Angela said in a rush.

"How is she coming in at midnight, then?" I was worried that I would get stuck working her full shift and there was no way I could do that having been up since three am already.

"OH! James got on a plane and headed home as soon as he heard about Riley. He actually should be landing at around ten, but she wanted to give extra time in case the flight was delayed." Angela said with a smile.

"Good, 'cause I have been up since three o'clock this morning and I can't work until eight am."

"Bella, when are you going to do something about your sleeping?" Angela had been on me for the last six months because I could only sleep for three or four hours at a time.

"Ang, when are you going to do something about that haystack on your head?" I asked, knowing it would cause her to freak out and forget all about my sleeping habits.

"My hair? What is wrong with my hair?"

I laughed, "Nothing, Miss Priss, I am just teasing you." I winked.

oOo

Three hours later, I was jerked out of my daydreaming by someone shouting down the hall.

"CALL ALICE! Tell her to get in here! Rose, too! We have ambulances coming with four firefighters! They may be badly injured; we don't know the extent yet! Hurry, they will be here in 10 minutes!" Dr. Shelby said, running towards me and Angela.

I quickly called the girls and explained. They headed there as fast as they could.

**Thanks for reading :)**


	2. Mr Dimples and GG

I want to thank my totally awesome betas, Spellboundagain and Allysue08. You girls are my meat and potatoes!

SM owns these characters. I own the computer that steals them…er borrows them *grin*

**Mr. Dimples and GG**

BPOV

"CODE 10! CODE 10! Get the stretchers! We have possible burn victims!"

"Incoming! The first ambulance is almost at the entrance! Prepare yourselves! Residents, get to the entrance! NOW!"

Everyone was unsure of the severity of the situation; therefore the whole unit was in quite an uproar. Nurses were making room in the already crowded entranceway. Doctors were standing anxiously at the nurses' station. Interns were chattering amongst themselves, excitedly. I saw Alice and Angela standing readily at the automatic doors, so I went to their side.

We looked nervously at each other. Sure, working in the ER we have had multiple victims come in quite often, but we didn't know how bad these guys were going to be hurt. All we knew was that they were fighting a fire in an apartment complex and the stairs collapsed heading up to the third floor. We didn't know anything that happened after that. They could have been under the stairs, or they could have been on the floors above and only suffered smoke inhalation. What we did know was that if they had been on the second floor, they might have been pretty badly burned.

I was in charge of the first two ambulances, while Alice was in charge of the last two.

The first man was pulled out of my ambulance. The EMT started to tell me his injuries—according to him, this patient had the most extensive. I prepared myself for the worst. I looked down at the man, expecting his face to be mangled or something frightening like that, but all I saw was the most adorable dimpled smile aimed right at me. My eyes practically bugged out of my head. I was expecting a disfigured face, not a smiling buffoon!

Noticing my shocked face, he said, "Hey there good-looking! Are you gonna be giving me a sponge bath tonight?" I groaned and rolled my eyes, looking over at the EMT. "I thought he was the patient with the worst injuries, what is going on here?"

Mr. Dimples said, "Oh, I am sweetcheeks! Lookie here!" He lifted up his right arm that the EMT had already bandaged, and grinned, "Third degree burn. Finally got an injury worth bragging about!"

"Third degree?" I shouted. I couldn't believe he wasn't acting like he was in pain, let alone smiling and flirting.

"Morphine," the EMT stated simply, noticing my look of disbelief.

"Yeah, morphine is my new best friend. But, I will give him up for you sweetheart, just say the word." Obviously, Mr. Dimples was feeling the effects of the morphine quite well.

I patted his cheek and said, "Just wait until you see your surgeon, Mr. Dimples. You will forget all about me." I winked at him.

"Mr. Dimples? Come on! I can't let the guys hear you calling me that. You have to come up with something better. How about Mr. Sexy, or Mr. Amazing, or heck, even Mr. Muscles, just not Mr. Dimples!"

I shook my head and passed Mr. Dimples off to Angela. "Take care of this guy, but steer clear of his hands…I have a feeling they like to roam." Angela laughed and headed toward the OR.

I was much more relaxed realizing that the worst patient had been coherent and wasn't in terrible shape.

The next guy who was pulled out of the ambulance had an oxygen mask on and as I glanced up at his eyes I froze. Now, I work in the ER. I've seen lots of patients. I've seen lots of eyes. I had NEVER seen eyes like those. The deepest, most glorious shade of emerald was staring straight at me with what appeared to be a slight twinkle. I think I was standing there with my jaw practically on the floor, looking like a complete moron, but I couldn't be sure because the only body part I was fully aware of was suddenly dripping wet. _What the hell? How can a pair of eyes get you wet?_ I cringed as I mentally scolded my hornirific vag.

I was taken out of my trance by the hand belonging to the sexy green eyes pulling the oxygen mask off of his face. He was smiling a heart-stopping crooked grin at me and saying, "Well hello there, pretty brown eyes." _Did he just call me pretty brown eyes?_ _No one likes boring old brown eyes… do they?_

He raised his eyebrows, obviously wondering if I comprenez anglais, because it had to be obvious I wasn't a complete idiot if I worked in the ER, right? _Way to look like a dumbass, Bella._

"Hello, Mr. Gor..eh, what's your name again?" He smirked at me and grabbed my hand, pulling it up to his mouth, kissing my knuckles and giving me cold chills up and down my spine while making me tingly in all the right – or wrong, actually – places.

"I didn't tell you my name yet, but I am curious. What was going to come after Mr. Guh?" His smirk got prominently bigger at that point.

Trying to excuse myself from having to answer that embarrassing question, I said, "Are you sure there is anything wrong with you? You seem to be perfectly fine to me." I managed to grin – at least I hoped it looked like a grin. My traitorous body wasn't quite reacting the way I intended it to.

"You're right, beautiful. I'm fine, but protocol states that if we are trapped in a burning building for more than ten minutes we have to come in and get checked out for smoke inhalation. Any other time, I would curse protocol for wasting my time, but tonight it has made me a very happy man." He winked at me, nearly rendering me speechless.

I looked over at the EMT and asked, "How much morphine did this one get?"

Both men just laughed, but Gorgeous GreenEyes, never having let go of my hand, pulled me closer to him where he could whisper in my ear, "I would never need morphine in your presence, looking at you would take all of my pain away." _I think I just got a contact buzz. Can you get high from someone's voice? How about their smell, cause God that man smells like Heaven on earth! Oh right, I should probably respond…or should I? What do you say after that? Yeah, has to be a contact buzz, here I am conversing with myself while an angel was holding my hand and had his mouth next to my ear probably thinking I just went into cardiac arrest._

Clearing my throat and taking a deep breath, I leaned in to his ear and whispered, "How long have you waited for the perfect opportunity to use that line?" I grinned as I pulled away from him reluctantly, oh so very reluctantly. I was amazed at myself for actually having a witty comeback and even more amazed that I could pull away from him. It was a wonder my legs were still holding me up because they actually felt like Jell-o, or some equally flaccid substance.

I started to turn to reach for the head of the stretcher when GG grabbed my arm and smiled saying, "I hope you know CPR, because you take my breath away." He smirked. "That, my dear, is a pickup line I would use outside of the ER had I been planning on using a line."

I shook my head and continued toward the head of his stretcher to take him to Trauma 1, though obviously he didn't need to be anywhere other than the waiting room waiting for his partner to get his arm worked on by Rose. I grinned to myself, wondering how Rose was able to handle Mr. Dimples.

I glanced over to the other ambulance, where I saw Alice bent over a man on the other stretcher kissing him! _What the…! ?_

"I'm sorry, I'll be right back," I told GG as I clicked the brake on his stretcher and started toward Alice. I grabbed her by the arm and whispered roughly, "What the hell are you doing, Alice?" I suddenly noticed that Alice and the man on the stretcher were still holding on to each other and had a shit-eating grin on both of their faces. I looked back and forth between the two of them and suddenly felt like I was interrupting a very intimate moment. _That's absurd! How could they be having an intimate moment seconds after just meeting?_

Realizing that they weren't going to break eye contact with each other and I wasn't going to be able to strike up a conversation with either of them, I slowly backed away and headed back to GG. I really needed to figure out Gorgeous GreenEyes' name because calling him GG was starting to sound really girly.

When I reached GG's stretcher again, I said, "Do you believe in love at first sight?" I regretted that the moment it left my lips. He hadn't seen the make-out scene twenty feet away, so he had no idea I was talking about Alice. Of course he would think I was talking about the two of us. I realized that right after I let the word vomit spew out of my mouth.

Sitting up abruptly, and nearly giving me a heart attack, he smiled and said, "You feel it too?"

When he said that, I was so startled that I jumped back what would have only been two inches had I not been only one inch from the stupid curb which met with my heel. That caused – yep, you guessed it – me to fall flat on my ass right in front of GG. I was mortified. Of course as soon as my tush hit the sidewalk, he jumped off the stretcher and was on his knees in front of me asking if I was okay. I didn't want to look up. Humiliation was an understatement. _Hi! I'm Dr. Swan! I will be taking care of you tonight. Oops, I just landed on my badonkadonk only to have you now leaning over taking care of me. Kill me now!_

He placed a finger under my chin and pulled my face up to look at him. My face had to have been redder than a fire engine and I was just about to die of embarrassment when suddenly I started cackling! I couldn't help it. I tried really hard to stop myself, but the strangest, most ill-fitting thought just popped in my head. My face and GG's eyes sure would make a beautiful Christmas ornament! Yep, definitely losing my mind.

_They're coming to take me away, HA HA_

_They're coming to take me away, HO HO HEE HEE HA HA_

_To the funny farm_

_Where life is beautiful all the time_

_And I'll be happy to see_

_Those nice, young men_

_In their clean, white coats!_

GG was looking at me like I was all kinds of crazy, which I, myself, had begun to think at that point, and he finally asked, "Care to share the joke? I could use a good laugh." There was that panty-dropping crooked smile again. Since I was losing my mind, I thought might as well enjoy it!

I put my hand on GG's shoulder, and before I used it to stand up, I kissed him on the cheek and said, "Sorry, if you need to laugh, just replay what you just saw. Believe me, that's what I will do." I grinned and stood up.

Ever the gentleman, GG stood next to me, placing his hand on the small of my back, and leaned in, speaking into my ear, "I'm sorry, but seeing you fall was not funny. I thought you had hurt yourself." He started to pull away, but leaned back in with a wicked grin and said, "However, now that I know you are okay, there are other emotions that that sight brings to the surface." He turned and got back up on his stretcher, and put his oxygen mask back on. I looked around wondering if Toto was going to come running toward me, because I sure felt like Dorothy when she realized she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

oOo

"So, Mr…Cullen," I said, looking at his chart to find out that GG's real name was Edward Cullen. "You seem to be fine, but for the sake of protocol I guess I better thoroughly check you over. I haven't noticed you coughing, so that's good. Are you having any shortness of breath?" He shook his head. "How about headache? Confusion? Do you feel faint?" Each of these he shook his head to. I proceeded to check his eyes, ears, nose, and when I asked him to open his mouth, he had that devilish grin again.

"What are you planning on putting in my mouth, Dr…..Swan?" He said, glancing at my Hospital ID to see my name.

"Mr. Cullen, if you want to ever leave this hospital, you need to let me finish my exam. Now, please, open your mouth and stick out your tongue." I said. unable to hide the grin creeping up on my face.

"Who says I want to leave the hospital? I think I quite like it here." Edward replied, however, he opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, all the while smirking at me with his eyes.

Forty minutes later, after a complete examination, an intern needing to speak to me in the hall, and countless smirks and grins, I said, "Well, Mr. Cullen, you have a clean bill of health. You are free to go. You may want to wait in the waiting area for your friend who had his arm pretty badly burned. We have coffee and donuts in the café down the hall if you are interested. There are also snack and pop machines. Have a great rest of your evening." I said as I started to walk away.

"Isabella?" Oh God, that sounded so sexy coming from his lips! _Wait, how did he know my first name? My ID says Bella._

I turned around with a confused look, to see him walking toward me grinning and holding up his I-phone. "Hospital website. They list you as Isabella Swan. Is that not your name? Bella is truly fitting, as you are definitely beautiful, but I fear its meaning has lost significance to you since you hear everyone call you that every day. Isabella is a very sensual, seductive sounding name. I think it fits you perfectly. Can I call you Isabella? Oh, and please, call me Edward. Mr. Cullen is my father. I'm just Edward." He smirked at me yet again.

I tried really hard to speak. I mean, really hard. All that came out was a tiny squeak, a very embarrassing squeak. Instantly, my predictable face blushed, and just as instantly, Edward reached up and caressed my cheek with his thumb and said, "Breathtaking." He placed something in my hand, leaned over and brushed his lips across my jaw and whispered in my ear, "I hope to hear from you again, Isabella," and walked out of the room.

I didn't know how long I stood there unable to move. It might have been a few seconds—though I highly doubted it—it might have been several minutes. Heck, it might have been an hour for all I knew. What I did know was that I never wanted to shower or change my clothes again, because I could still smell Edward on my skin and on my clothes and it was intoxicating.

Angela busted in the room scaring me half to death, and causing me to squeal. "Bella! There you are! You have got to come and get Alice! She is out of control!" I blinked my eyes a few times, bringing myself completely back to reality and said, "What? What is wrong with her?" I was scared at that point, because even though yes, Angela was known as the Drama Queen of SGH, she would never say Alice was out of control unless there was cause for worry.

"It's her patient! She claims he is her soul mate and won't let anyone take her away from him!"

I started giggling at that statement. That sounded like Alice. Alice was eccentric. She had always had a fascination for superstitions and anything supernatural—not that soul mates were necessarily supernatural, I just didn't believe; I had seen enough failed relationships in my time. She tried to convince everyone she met that she could predict the future. The scary thing was that she had been right enough times to make me wonder if it was really possible.

I followed Angela to the waiting room and stopped as soon as I saw the scene laid out in front of me. Alice's "soul-mate" was sitting on one of the chairs and Alice was straddling him with her arms around his neck. He had his arms wrapped around her waist and they were lip-locked. I was pretty sure none of us had a key to undo _that_ lock.

Standing off to Alice's right was Victoria—_ah, that means I can go home_—trying to get Alice to "kindly remove her lips from the young gentleman who would probably like to go home." Alice didn't budge. Soul-mate didn't budge, either. Apparently he had no intentions of going home right then.

Victoria moved slightly and I noticed two green eyes staring right at me. I couldn't help myself and I smiled tentatively at him. At that moment, I remembered that he had placed something in my hand. I looked down to see it was a business card.

_Edward A. Cullen_

_Seattle Fire Department_

_Fire Chief_

_(123) 555-1234_

On the back of the card, in beautiful penmanship, it read:

_Isabella, I am not one to give out my number to women, but you have captivated me. I would absolutely love to see you again, under better circumstances. Please call me. (If I don't hear from you, I might just have another 'accident' in hopes to see you again. You wouldn't want that on your conscience now, would you?)_

I could literally see the smirk in his words on the card. I started grinning and then noticed a pair of feet appear below the card I was holding in my hand. I jerked my head up to see the angel standing in all of his glory, smiling down at me.

"Couldn't even wait until I got home, could you?"

I bit my lower lip, trying not to smile. No, that didn't help at all. That just caused a lot of pain when I smiled without removing my teeth from my lip first.

Apparently Edward noticed how much pain I was putting my lip in, because he reached up with his thumb and gently pulled it out from between my teeth. "You need to be gentler with this lip. I don't want it to be sore when I kiss you." _Gah! What is with this man? He is the biggest sweet talker I have ever met! My ovaries are going into overdrive right now! Down girls! Geez!_

"And just what makes you think you are gonna kiss me, Mr… I mean, Edward?" I smiled sheepishly at him under my lashes. _Why are you trying that flirty technique you dope? You can't do anything sexily; you just make yourself look like an imbecile._

"Well, Isabella. I would never be so daft as to assume anything, but I would very much hope to be able to kiss you at some point. It would be a shame to miss out on having those perfect lips against mine." _Why did I pick now to decide we needed a break from dating? Much more time around Edward and that was surely going out the window._

"Hmm" I said with a small smile. _That's all? That's the best you can come up with? God, you are so pathetic!_

At that exact moment, I was saved by the bell…or rather I was saved by the ditzy little blonde, Lauren. Looking like she might possibly have been lost, she walked up to me and said, "I need to find the guys who are waiting for Mr. McCarty."

I guess my ID said _Dr. Bella Swan, finder of lost people_, because why else would she expect me to know who in the world was waiting for this Mr. McCarty guy.

Before I could give her a smart aleck response like I planned, Edward looked at her and said, "We are waiting for Emmett."

The half-witted intern standing in front of us actually looked at him and said, "Oh, well, I need the guys waiting for Mr. McCarty, but if I find out about Emmett, I will let you know."

Edward furrowed his brows for the briefest second before he grinned one of those you-poor-idiotic-nitwit-I-feel-sorry-for-you grins and said, "We are waiting for Mr. Emmett McCarty. Has his surgery finished?"

"OH! Wow, his name's Emmett? That's an odd name. He sure has the most adorable dimp-"

"Lauren!" I interrupted, because this was just ridiculous. "I think you should tell Mr. Cullen here if his friend is ready to have visitors or not."

"Right! I'm sorry. I totally got side-tracked. Yes, yes he is ready for visitors. He is in room 256. I can show you the way if you'd like!" She smiled a smile that made me think of Forrest Gump… except I was pretty sure his IQ was double hers.

"I can show them the way, Lauren. You can go back to your rounds."

Edward watched her walk away and gave me a look which I think was asking me if we hired mentally handicapped people to work as interns now. I just shook my head and said, "Can you please help me unlock my friend's lips from your friend's lips? I'm sure he would like to see Mr. McCarty, don't you think?"

Edward grinned and said, "Let's leave them be. I know if I was in that same position with a certain beautiful brunette right now, I would probably castrate whoever tried to separate us." I instantly went weak in the knees.

Red-faced, I mumbled, "Come on Casanova. Let me show you to your friend's room." I started walking out of the waiting room, but could tell that Edward didn't follow. I quickly turned around to look at him. He was just standing there with the oddest expression on his face. It was a cross between embarrassed and arrogant. I looked at him quizzically. He just shook his head and stalked towards me, while his expression slowly turned… _holy hell! If ever a look could make me cum, that one—RIGHT THERE—would be the one!_

I was frozen. I knew if I didn't move right that very second, things were not going to end well, but there was nothing I could do. My brain had left the building and my ovaries had taken over. Edward was then so close I could touch him, but I knew that was not a good idea. I was this close to jumping that man in front of God and everybody and fucking his brains out. I swallowed hard, still unable to move, when he got so close I could feel the heat from his chest and smell his luxurious scent overpowering me and making my already weak legs start to shake.

He reached up and pushed my hair behind my shoulder, brushing his fingers across my bare neck, leaned down and whispered, "Isabella, I am trying to be a gentleman, but right now all I can think of is my lips over every inch of your body." His lips lightly grazed my earlobe and he lowered his head until his lips barely touched the side of my neck. _What the hell was that sound? Please, God tell me I didn't just mew like a kitten!_ I felt Edward smile against my neck, having obviously heard whatever noise just came out of my pathetic excuse for a mouth.

Edward inched his body closer to mine and barely placed his hands on my hips. "Do you know what you do to me, Isabella?" Just as Edward said that, I shifted and came in contact with something very hard jabbing me in my hip. I gasped, realizing exactly what I was apparently doing to Edward.

When I gasped, I must have pulled Edward out of his trance, because he quickly pulled back, his eyes suddenly filled with shame, and said, "I apologize, Isabella. That was very rude of me. I didn't mean to disrespect you. I'm sorry." He lowered his head as if he was deeply ashamed.

I stepped closer to Edward and mimicked his earlier actions by placing a finger under his chin and raising his face to look at me. He had his eyes closed and did not open them when I raised his head.

"Edward…" I waited. He still didn't open his eyes. "Edward, please look at me." He slowly opened his eyes. "You didn't disrespect me. Whatever made you think you did?"

Edward looked deep into my eyes and very quietly said, "Isabella, I should not have pushed myself on you, especially with…" he trailed off and looked away from me.

"Edward, look at me." He kept his eyes focused over my shoulder instead of looking at me. There was a look of pure guilt all over his face. "Edward, you didn't push yourself on me. I could have walked away if I didn't want you touching me." No need to tell him the truth, there. I couldn't have walked away if my life depended on it. "I could have slapped you or told you to back off! I let you come to me, Edward. You did nothing wrong. And as for that…" I said pointing at the no-longer-tight crotch of his jeans, "You can't help how your body reacts, no more than I can help that…" I stepped closer to where I could whisper in his ear. "No more than I can help that my panties are so wet right now that I could mop the floor with them." Edward groaned and closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath and with his eyes still closed, said, "I think we better go see Emmett before I lose what little control I have left." He then opened his eyes and grinned at me letting me know my words had taken away his feelings of guilt.

oOo

"Here it is; room 256. Tell Mr. Dimples I said I am glad he is all better." I began to walk away.

Edward lightly grabbed me by my elbow and said, "Please, come in with me? I'm not ready to let you go." He smiled that sexy crooked smile that melted me like butter.

"Okay… if you are sure…" I said quietly.

"Definitely." He smiled a big, toothy, full-faced grin. That man had the whitest teeth I had ever seen!

Edward and I walked into the extremely bright room and came face to face with bare-assed Emmett on his side.

Edward laughed, "Hey Crispy. I see it's a full moon tonight. How ya feeling?"

Emmett, turning around to face Edward better, said, "Dude, third degree! I passed you on the burn rank! You owe me a steak dinner! Huzzah!"

I shifted and came into Emmett's line of sight.

"Sweetcheeks! I thought I would never see you again!"

Edward stiffened beside me and looked at me with a strange expression. I shrugged if off, not quite understanding what that was about, and walked towards Emmett. "Mr. Dimples, how are you fee—what the hell happened to your lip? You looked fine when I passed you off to Angela!"

Emmett smiled a huge, goofy smile. "I'll tell you what happened. God sent me an angel and her name is Rosalie. I'm gonna marry that woman!" I could totally relate to his believing God sent him an angel, because I felt like I had found mine as well, but I just couldn't understand what that had to do with the ginormous cut on the side of his lip.

"Okay… so God sent you an angel and you, what? Got so excited you fell off the bed and busted your lip?"

Emmett laughed a boisterous laugh and said, "No, Sweetcheeks! I got the busted lip from Rose!" He was still grinning. Okay, I can see Rose giving someone a fat lip, but that still didn't explain the angel reference or the fact that he had a goofy grin on his face while talking about a woman socking him in the jaw.

"I am afraid you have completely lost me. You are gonna have to explain to me why you are calling Rose an angel and yet your lip is mutilated."

Emmett ducked his head, while still grinning and mumbled, "Well, I may have asked her to do something very inappropriate while she was bent over my bed fixing my arm, causing her to slap me, and when she slapped me, I may have grabbed her wrist and pulled her down toward me and commenced to giving her the best kiss of her life. Then, after about five minutes of tonsil hockey, I may have pulled her over to straddle me, at which point, she may have jumped up and socked me in the jaw. Yep, definitely gonna marry that woman!"

I laughed for a bit and then abruptly stopped, "Wait, did you say you kissed each other for five minutes?" That meant Rose was kissing him back. That meant that Alice and Rose both had kissed a man. Why was I the only one not kissing a gorgeous set of lips that… just happened to be inching their way to my neck right that very second.

"Yep! Five of the best minutes of my life. The only better time will be when I have her straddled across my lap!"

Edward's lips were dangerously close to the spot on my neck that caused incoherency, so I quickly asked Emmett, "What makes you think you are gonna marry her? She decked you, you big putz!"

Emmett grinned wildly, "Yeah, but she was loving every minute of it, I could tell. She just likes to be in control. That's okay, she is one woman I would let control me for the rest of my life. I will make her realize she belongs with me!"

Just about the same time I started to wonder how these crazies could be so sure they found their one and only within a few minutes of meeting them, Edward's lips reached the land of no return—at least no return for my brain. I shivered slightly and felt Edward's lips curl up in a devious smile and he pulled back the tiniest bit and whispered seductively, "Are you cold, Isabella?"

Right about that time, Emmett noticed where Edward's mouth was and shouted, "Dude! What the heck? What about your wife?"

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Beauty and dot,dot,dot the Beast?

Thanks to my meat and potatoes, Allysue08 and Spellboundagain. Without you, this story would be bland! I love you!

SM owns these characters. I own the fires that make them get HOT!

Also, I understand that many ppl hate the overlapping POVs and I understand this. I only do it for a few chapters (until their relationship is fully established) because I think they both bring something different to the situation. If you only want to read one side, I suggest you read the EPOV because….well, he is just better! Lol (and he has a special character who appears in chapter 7)

Although I appreciate all reviews, please don't tell me how much you hate the overlapping….I already know, lol….but I still felt it was necessary for a few chapters ;)

**Beauty and the… Beast?**

EPOV

"Booyha! Eat that sucka!" Emmett jumped up from the card table, checkers flying everywhere.

I rolled my eyes. "Go ahead. Bask in your victory; you and I both know that it will be short-lived."

Emmett never won at checkers. He won on that because I was distracted. My mom had called earlier that evening and told me that she had a feeling that I was getting ready to meet my destiny. Go ahead and laugh about that, but let me tell you, my mom had never been wrong with her 'feelings' yet. Honestly, that had me scared shitless. I wasn't scared because I didn't want a relationship, I was scared because I did. I had wanted to settle down for ages, but I just hadn't found a woman worth settling down with. Now, with Mom's eerie 'prophecy' hanging over my head, I was afraid I would be thinking that every woman I came in contact with was 'the one'.

"You don't know that it'll be short-lived. I have a good feeling about this. This might be the beginning of a winning streak for me!"

Jazz busted out laughing. "Emmett! You can't win at checkers against Seth's 9-year-old son! 10-to-1 you only won tonight because Edward has his mind somewhere far, far away."

"Man, screw you both! I can win at checkers. Little Embry cheats, man, I swear it!"

Shaking my head, I stood up and headed to my bunk. "Well, guys, I'm beat. I'll see you both in the morning. Good game, Em. You played well."

oOo

No sooner than I had started dreaming about a gorgeous brown-eyed woman with long, beautiful, brown hair, I was jerked awake by the alarm signaling a fire. I flew out of bed, grabbed my jumpsuit and pulled it on over my long johns I slept in. I headed toward the pole, making sure no one else was up there with me. I slid down, rushed to my locker, gathered my jacket and boots, and ran towards the truck. Jazz and Seth were already there. Paul and Jared were right behind me. Paul jumped in the driver's seat and we headed out of the station.

oOo

"Jared! You and Paul start with the hose. Em, Jazz, Seth—you guys come with me." We headed into the apartment complex. I was pretty sure everyone was out of the building, but we still needed to make sure. Just as we reached the stairs heading to the third floor, we felt them begin to collapse, but luckily we jumped out of the way. The smoke was billowing everywhere.

The guys and I began to spread out. The floorboards creaked wherever we stepped, so our movements were swift and cautious. The heat was already causing sweat to drip into my eyes. I blinked a few times to clear the salty liquid and could see just how rapidly the fire was escalating. We needed to get back to the ground floor as quickly as possible, so I had to gather my crew. I could hear Emmett yelling and went to him, only to find that his glove had snagged on a part of the railing that had collapsed with the stairs. I helped him to rip his glove off in order to get away from the engulfing flames.

Just as we were about to head back toward the first floor, Jazz heard a young girl crying from somewhere behind us. Without even thinking, Em ran in her direction and we followed. It took several minutes before we were able to locate her. She was curled up in a ball in the closet of a bedroom. I grabbed her while assuring her she was okay and carried her toward the nearest window, hoping the ladder was already extended.

The ladder was up, but not near us, therefore I had to radio down to Jared to move it closer. Once the ladder was near the window, Seth helped her down. I turned to make sure Em and Jazz were behind me. Emmett wasn't.

"Jazz, go on, I'll go back and find Emmett."

"No way! I don't leave this building until both of you do!" Jazz insisted.

I rolled my eyes, huffed and said, "Come on, Jazz, you stubborn fool!"

Emmett was running toward us when we were nearing the stairs. He was cradling his arm. "Shit, guys, I got burned! I wanted to make sure there wasn't another kid behind and there were flames everywhere. Sorry, Chief!"

"Come on, you big oaf! Let's get you out of here!" I said as we started heading down the ladder.

Paul and Jared had the hose. I heard the sirens alerting us that the backup crew from across town was near. Jazz walked in the direction of the crowd that had already begun to swarm the streets. He was shouting for everyone to stand clear to avoid injury.

I went to Jared to give him a hand, when he swatted me away, "We got this, get Emmett to the ER." Almost instantly, three ambulances came into view. I motioned Jazz and Seth over.

Emmett got in the first ambulance and I went to usher Jazz into the second one. He was adamant about me going first. I tried to tell him I didn't need to go, but he said if he had to be checked for S.I., then so did I. Not wanting any member of my crew to go against protocol, I agreed hesitantly to go in the second ambulance. Sometimes it sucks being a leader.

The ride to the hospital took about ten minutes. The EMT had already removed my jacket and put an oxygen mask on me. I still had on my jumpsuit pants, and only three minutes later I was extremely grateful for that.

The EMT pulled me out of the ambulance and as I looked up lackadaisically, I had the breath knocked clean out of me. There before me was a goddess. The most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. As if that weren't enough… this was the very same woman I had just seen in my dream less than two hours ago.

_How is that possible? Had I seen her somewhere before? What else could explain how I could dream of a woman and then see said woman minutes later?_

That beauty was looking right into my eyes, but she wasn't moving. She was staring at me, slack-jawed and blushing – an absolutely stunning shade of pink tinted her cheeks.

I lowered my oxygen mask and said, "Well hello there, pretty brown eyes." It was the first thing that came out of my mouth. _Well, at least it was a complete sentence, Cullen._

She just kept staring, and I was worried that maybe the words didn't come out right. I raised my eyebrows hoping to God I had spoken clearly.

She gained her composure and said, "Hello, Mr. Guh…eh, what's your name again?"

I couldn't help it, I grinned at her. I grabbed her hand and pulled it to my mouth to kiss her knuckles – I had to touch her. Touching her sent chills up and down my spine and all of my blood gathered in one spot. Thank you, God, for these bulky fire pants!

Beauty appeared to be flushed for some reason unbeknownst to me.

"I didn't tell you my name yet, but I am curious. What was going to come after Mr. Guh?" I grinned even bigger trying my damnedest to figure out what in the hell word started with guh.

Obviously I wasn't going to get to find out, either, because Beauty quickly changed the subject. "Are you sure there is anything wrong with you? You seem to be perfectly fine to me." She grinned the cutest, girly little grin and made my 'problem' grow bigger.

"You're right, beautiful." _Shit! I slipped, but DAMN, was she beautiful; I couldn't help but call her that._ "I'm fine, but protocol states that if we are trapped in a burning building for more than ten minutes we have to come in and get checked out for smoke inhalation. Any other time, I would curse protocol for wasting my time, but tonight it has made me a very happy man." I winked at her. _God, get a grip, Cullen!_

She looked away, but I couldn't take my eyes off her to see where she was looking. "How much morphine did this one get?" I laughed, realizing she must have thought I was high. Good, then she wouldn't think I was being too forward.

I noticed I had never let go of her hand, so I pulled her closer to whisper in her ear, "I would never need morphine in your presence, looking at you would take all of my pain away." _Well, if you didn't scare her away a minute ago, I am sure you managed to just now, imbecile._

After what felt like an eternity, she cleared her throat, took a deep breath and leaned into my ear. "How long have you waited for the perfect opportunity to use that line?" She grinned and pulled away. Her voice, low and mesmerizing in my ear, caused me to lose my bearings for a moment. _Say something, Cullen. Don't let her think it was a line!_

She started to turn, most likely to reach for the head of the stretcher, but I grabbed her arm, smiled and said, "I hope you know CPR, because you take my breath away. That, my dear, is a pickup line I would use outside of the ER had I been planning to use a line."

She shook her head and continued toward the head of the stretcher. She pushed me about six inches and halted, looking over her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'll be right back." _I scared her away. Stupid, stupid move Cullen. She is going to get someone else to take care of me. I knew I would somehow screw this up._

Suddenly, she was beside me again and said, "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Without even thinking, I sat up quickly, smiled at her and said, "You feel it too?"

_Oh no!_ I had scared her so freaking bad that she promptly fell right on her ass! I jumped off the stretcher, knelt down in front of her, mortified that I had caused that. _Kill me now!_

She wouldn't even look at me. I put a finger under her chin and tried to coax her to lift her head and look in my eyes so I could apologize. She raised her head and her cheeks were the most beautiful shade of magenta, making her even more beautiful. I just wanted to kiss her until neither of us could breathe.

However, when she looked at me, I must have looked idiotic or something because she started laughing maniacally. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen. "Care to share the joke? I could use a good laugh." _Hopefully, it doesn't embarrass me too terribly bad…_

She put her hand on my shoulder, lightly kissed my cheek and said, "Sorry, if you need to laugh, just replay what you just saw. Believe me, that's what I will do." _Oh my God, I have died and gone to heaven, because I was just kissed by an angel._

I couldn't let her think that I thought her falling was funny, so I stood, placed my hand on the small of her back, and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry, but seeing you fall was not funny. I thought you had hurt yourself." I started to pull away, but thought I might have some fun with her, so I grinned wickedly and said, "However, now that I know you are okay, there are other emotions that that sight brings to the surface." I turned quickly to hide my embarrassment, and got back up on the stretcher and put my oxygen mask back in place.

oOo

Beauty began a standard examination, but I continued to give her a hard time. I noticed that her ID said 'Dr. Bella Swan'. Bella was quite appropriate, because she was absolutely beautiful, but since she went by it regularly, I highly doubted she realized the significance it held anymore. When she was called out into the hall with an intern, I brought up the hospital website on my iPhone. I wanted to find out more about this Dr. Swan, possibly a phone number or address… _What do you plan to do, stalk her?_

Then I thought it would be best if the ball was left in her court, so I grabbed one of my business cards and jotted down a quick note to give her.

The exam was over and she was telling me something about snacks and pops, but I couldn't pay attention, because I was watching her luscious lips and her tongue that would flick out and wet them briefly. I snapped back when I realized she was walking away, but I wasn't done with her yet.

"Isabella." God, her name sounded amazing coming from my lips.

I started walking toward her and she turned looking confused. Oops, I slipped and called her Isabella when her nametag says Bella. _B-u-s-t-e-d!_

I held up my iPhone, explaining how I found out her full name and how Bella had most likely lost its significance to her. I also explained how Isabella was a sensual, seductive name that fit her perfectly. _If she only knew how perfectly_. I grinned as I asked her to call me Edward instead of Mr. Cullen – that just made me feel old.

She just stood there for a moment and then opened her mouth to speak, but the most adorable squeak came out. She instantly blushed and I couldn't help myself, I reached up and brushed my thumb across her cheek, "Breathtaking." I placed the business card in her hand, placed a small kiss on her jaw and whispered close to her ear, "I hope to hear from you again, Isabella," and walked out of the room to keep from jumping her right then and there on that small examination table.

oOo

I sat in the waiting room for God knows how long, just captivated by the scent of Isabella that surrounded me. I seriously considered never washing that shirt again.

Jazz suddenly appeared in the room, being pulled by the tiniest little nymph-like creature I had ever seen. She was four foot nothing, with spiky black hair, and appeared to glide across the floor instead of walk. She pulled him to a chair, he sat down comfortably and she jumped up and straddled him! Jasper didn't even act shocked, he just reached up and started sucking face with her. I began to think I had walked into the Twilight Zone.

Two women walked in to the waiting room. The dark-haired one with glasses started clearing her throat. "Alice… Mr. Whitlock needs to sign his release form. You need to get off of his lap before the Chief of Staff comes in and you lose your job." Alice didn't move and neither did Jazz. They actually got a bit more comfortable and started moaning. _What the hell?_

The taller lady, with bright red hair, looked at the first lady and said, "Go get Bella. Tell her it is important. Maybe she can talk some sense into her." _Yes! I was going to get to see Isabella again_. I discreetly situated so that I couldn't be seen behind Big Red when Isabella entered the room.

I heard footsteps coming just as Big Red asked Alice to "kindly remove her lips from the young gentleman who would probably like to go home." Neither one of them moved, but then Big Red shuffled to the side and I was immediately looking into Isabella's captivating brown eyes. She smiled tentatively and then slowly glanced down in her hand. _Ah, my business card. Had she not read it yet? Let's go have some more fun with her._

She was still staring down at the card when I stepped in front of her. She jerked her head up and I smiled down at her. _She is such an angel!_

"Couldn't even wait until I got home, could you?"

She bit her lower lip, I think trying to stop herself from smiling, but she smiled anyway and it looked incredibly painful with her lip nearly being ripped by her teeth.

I reached up with my thumb and pulled her lip out gently. "You need to be gentler with this lip. I don't want it to be sore when I kiss you." _WHAT? You idiot!_ At the same time I said kiss, my already straining erection perked right up and tried to make his way out the zipper and into Isabella's pants. _Down boy!_

"And just what makes you think you are gonna kiss me, Mr… I mean, Edward?" She smiled, looking up at me through her lashes. _Oh God! My brain has left the building and my lower region has taken over._

"Well, Isabella. I would never be so daft as to assume anything, but I would very much hope to be able to kiss you at some point. It would be a shame to miss out on having those perfect lips against mine." And many other places of my body as well… _Must. Not. Think. That. Way. Right. Now._

With a small smile, she just hummed.

Suddenly, a little blonde burst into the room. Looking like a lost puppy, she said to Isabella, "I need to find the guys who are waiting for Mr. McCarty."

Isabella looked confused and started to speak, but I interrupted and said, "We are waiting for Emmett."

The ditzy little blonde – honest to God – looked at me and said, "Oh, well, I need the guys waiting for Mr. McCarty, but if I find out about Emmett, I'll let you know." I was confused for the briefest second, and then I realized she must be one fry short of a Happy Meal. I grinned and said, "We are waiting for Mr. Emmett McCarty. Has his surgery finished?"

"OH! Wow, his name's Emmett?" No_, honey, I just said that for kicks…_ "That's an odd name. He sure has the most adorable dimp-"

"Lauren!" Isabella interrupted. "I think you should tell Mr. Cullen here if his friend is ready to have visitors or not." Apparently Isabella already knew the elevator didn't reach the top floor.

"Right! I'm sorry. I totally got side-tracked. Yes, yes he is ready for visitors. He is in room 256. I can show you the way if you would like!" I felt like telling her that life was like a box of chocolates at that moment.

"I can show them the way, Lauren. You can go back to your rounds." Ah, now I don't have to ask her to come with me, because honestly… I just was not ready to walk away from her—though I did have to check on Emmett, being that I was the Chief and all.

At that moment, I looked at Isabella oddly, because I realized that it must be hard for her to work with someone as incompetent as that specimen that just walked out of the room.

She just shook her head and instead shocked me by asking, "Can you please help me unlock my friend's lips from your friend's lips? I'm sure he would like to see Mr. McCarty, don't you think?"

_God, what I would give to be lip-locked with you right now, Beauty…er… I mean Isabella. There is no key made that would unlock us…_

Mentally shaking my head, I grinned and said, "Let's leave them be. I know if I was in that same position with a certain beautiful brunette right now, I would probably castrate whoever tried to separate us." Ah, the beautiful blush makes another appearance.

She mumbled something about Casanova and I froze. The world's greatest lover, huh? But also a womanizer. I hope I didn't come off as a womanizer. Isabella looked at me like I had sprouted a second head. I just shook my head and started stalking toward her. I needed to show her that I wasn't a womanizer. _How are you gonna show her that when all you want to do right now is fuck her six ways from Sunday? Just because I want to holds no bearings whatsoever because I do not plan to. I am going to be a gentleman to Isabella, a gentleman that she deserves…Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Cullen._

As I walked toward her, she had a deer-in-headlights expression – so fucking cute – and she wasn't moving a muscle. I started wondering if close proximity was a good idea for my… situation. I was then close enough to smell her and GOD did she smell amazing. I could almost taste her… oh how I wanted to taste her… _shouldn't be thinking about tasting right now…_

I reached up and brushed her gorgeous brown hair over her shoulder, making sure to graze my fingers across her bare neck. I leaned down and whispered, "Isabella, I am trying to be a gentleman, but right now all I can think of is my lips over every inch of your body." _I thought you wanted to convince her you weren't a womanizer…oops…_ I lightly kissed her neck and the most adorable sound escaped from her lips; I couldn't help but smile.

Evidently my body took that as a green light to assault her, because without even thinking I inched closer and placed my hand on her hips. "Do you know what you do to me, Isabella?" She moved slightly and grazed my rock-hard dick and gasped. _SHIT!_ I pulled back quickly, "I apologize, Isabella. That was very rude of me." _You think?_ "I didn't mean to disrespect you. I am sorry." I couldn't look her in the eyes. I was so ashamed. I closed my eyes and lowered my head, just knowing she would turn and run as far away from me as possible.

I felt her step closer and place her finger on my chin. She then raised my head to look at her. I still couldn't open my eyes.

"Edward..." _Please, put me out of my misery. I can't bear to look in her eyes_. "Edward, please look at me," she pleaded. I slowly opened my eyes. "You didn't disrespect me. Whatever made you think you did?" _Uh, did you not feel my bulging buddy just now? Yeah, maybe I can't help that he has a mind of his own, but still…_

"Isabella, I should not have pushed myself on you, especially with…" I averted my eyes, unable to look at her again.

"Edward, look at me." I turned my head toward her, but I still couldn't look in her eyes. "Edward, you didn't push yourself on me. I could have walked away if I didn't want you touching me. I could have slapped you or told you to back off! I let you come to me, Edward. You did nothing wrong. And as for that…" she pointed at my traitorous member. "You can't help how your body reacts, no more than I can help that…" Then Isabella stepped closer and whispered in my ear. "No more than I can help that my panties are so wet right now that I could mop the floor with them." _HOLY SHIT! Did she just say what I think she said? _Whether she did or not, my cock had started bouncing around trying to find the quickest path to that wetness.

I groaned, closed my eyes, and took a very deep breath. "I think we better go see Emmett before I lose what little control I have left." I grinned.

oOo

"Here it is, room 256. Tell Mr. Dimples I said I am glad he is all better." Isabella started to walk away and I grabbed her elbow gently. "Please come with me? I'm not ready to let you go." I tried to smile seductively, but I think it came off as extremely goofy.

"Okay… if you are sure…" she whispered.

"Definitely!" I smiled a huge smile at the thought of spending more time with her.

We walked in and I saw Emmett lying on his side, his bare ass in full view. I couldn't help laughing at his audacity. "Hey Crispy! I see it's a full moon tonight. How ya feeling?"

He turned around and said, in his booming, obnoxious voice, "Dude, third degree! I passed you on the burn rank! You owe me a steak dinner! Huzzah!"

Isabella moved a tiny bit and Emmett shouted, "Sweetcheeks!" _Sweetcheeks? What the hell? Does he know Isabella? Please tell me she wasn't one of his conquests. Surely he would have mentioned someone as beautiful as her…_ "I thought I would never see you again!"

I looked at Isabella with an abnormal amount of jealousy. _Jealousy? You just met her, how can you be jealous?_

"Mr. Dimples, how are you fee—what the hell happened to your lip? You looked fine when I passed you off to Angela!" Ahh, so they didn't know each other. That was just one of Emmett's caveman terms of endearment. _Thank God!_

Emmett smiled a dorky smile, "I'll tell you what happened. God sent me an angel and her name is Rosalie. I'm gonna marry that woman!" _You aren't the only one sent an angel today, Em._

"Okay…so God sent you an angel and you, what? Got so excited you fell off the bed and busted your lip?" Isabella exclaimed.

Emmett guffawed. "No, Sweetcheeks!" _We are gonna have a talk about this 'sweetcheeks' business_! "I got the busted lip from Rose!"

"I am afraid you have completely lost me. You are gonna have to explain to me why you are calling Rose an angel and yet your lip is mutilated!"

Emmett ducked his head, still grinning like a buffoon, and mumbled, "Well, I may have asked her to do something very inappropriate while she was bent over my bed fixing my arm, causing her to slap me, and when she slapped me, I may have grabbed her wrist and pulled her down toward me and commenced to giving her the best kiss of her life. Then, after about five minutes of tonsil hockey, I may have pulled her over to straddle me, at which point, she may have jumped up and socked me in the jaw. Yep, definitely gonna marry that woman!" _Leave it to Em to get turned on by a violent woman…_

Isabella laughed briefly then looked at him surprised, "Wait, did you say you kissed each other for five minutes?"

I couldn't take this close proximity much longer without touching Isabella. I started inching my lips toward her neck. I didn't hear what Emmett said, being that I was distracted and intoxicated by Isabella.

I almost reached her neck, when I heard her begin to give Em a hard time about something, what that was, who knows, because I was completely focused on the beautiful patch of skin just inches from my lips…

Emmett answered her but I wasn't paying attention because my lips had reached the promised land—well, at least the one I could reach in front of an audience. Isabella shivered. I couldn't help but smile against her neck. It was far from cold in there. I whispered, "Are you cold, Isabella?"

Suddenly, Emmett shouted, "Dude! What the heck? What about your wife?"

_SHITFUCK!_

**Thanks for reading! ;)**


	4. Lead the Way and I'll Follow You

Thanks to my meat and potatoes, Allysue08 and Spellboundagain (known from now on as AS08 and SBA). You make this story more than just a side-dish!

SM owns these characters. I own the ramblings in their heads.

**Lead the Way and I'll Follow You**

BPOV

_Suddenly, Emmett shouted, "Dude! What the heck? What about your wife?"_

My stomach dropped to the floor and I started to kick myself for being so stupid, but at the same time Edward's head shot up and he said, "What the hell, Em? That's not even funny!"

Emmett busted out laughing so hard he couldn't breathe. I didn't see what was so funny. I straightened my back, ready to leave the room with as much dignity as I could possibly muster in this ridiculous situation, when Edward grabbed my shoulders and said, "Emmett, I said it isn't funny, now look at Isabella, does she look like she thinks it's funny?"

Emmett must have noticed that all of the color had left my face, because suddenly he was serious as a heart attack and said, "Aww, Sweetcheeks, I'm sorry. It was only a joke. I swear. Edward is a single as a Kraft individual slice of cheese! I was just messing with him, I'm sorry. That's just what we do…"

I breathed a sigh of relief, though I was still in a bit of shock. Edward caressed my shoulders and said quietly, "It was a bad joke. Emmett is missing a brain filter. I'm really sorry about that."

I turned so Edward could see my face, and smiled. "It's okay. You can't help it if your friend's not playing with a full deck."

Edward grinned and Emmett chortled, "Hey! I resemble that remark!"

I giggled and said, "Yes, yes you do!"

Edward placed a hand on my hip while his other hand still rested on my shoulder. I bit my lower lip and then said, "My shift is officially over now, I really need to go clock out before the Chief of Staff finds out I have been mingling with the patients for the past 30 minutes while still on the clock."

Edward said, "I'd like to walk you out, Isabella. Get some rest, Em. You're going to need it if you plan on winning back your new angel's affections!" He grinned and we both walked out.

The halls were pretty empty since we were in the patient wing and it was nearing two am. Edward must have noticed as well, because suddenly, before I knew what was happening, he grabbed me by my hips and pushed my back up against the wall. He slowly brought his face within an inch of mine and shocked me by saying, "Isabella, I don't know how much longer I can wait. I am going crazy. May I please kiss you?" He said it in such a sweet way – nearly begging me, as if he was afraid that I would deny him. All I could do was nod my head. _Is this really happening?_

He slowly leaned forward and gently pushed his lips to mine. Just that simple touch sent me to the moon! _God, those lips felt even better than they looked!_ He kissed me a little bit harder, but still very gentle. It was the most romantic kiss I had ever experienced. His hands slowly descended to my waist and he pulled me marginally closer to him, being way too careful not to press in to me. I tilted my head the tiniest bit to give him better access to my lips. That simple gesture caused something to spark in him. Suddenly his lips started moving faster and with more fervor. I moaned softly, but it was enough to convince him to keep going. I snaked my hands up his chest, around his neck, to the back of his glorious head of bronze-colored, soft-as-silk hair. I'd wanted to run my fingers through his hair since the moment I'd first laid eyes on him on the stretcher. _Was that really just a few short hours ago?_

I parted my lips just a bit and he did as well. I couldn't take it any longer, I had to taste him. I slowly moved my tongue out and grazed his lip, testing his reaction.

Keeping his lips close to mine, but pulling away minutely, I heard him whimper, "God, Isabella." And then he went back to kissing me with much more force. He opened his mouth and brought his tongue out tentatively, but I would have none of that. I took that as an invitation, and plunged my tongue into his mouth. He groaned and pulled me closer to him, still hesitant to cause contact with his prominent erection. We both knew it was there, so why tiptoe around it? I pulled myself the rest of the way against him causing another whimper out of this god-like creature before me. I loved hearing the sounds he made. I could only imagine what he sounded like when he was coming undone – and at that moment I decided I had every intention of finding out… but not right then, there, in the middle of my workplace.

"Edward!" I gasped, pulling away from him the tiniest bit. "We have to stop." Betraying the words I just said, I then pulled his head closer and began attacking his lips again.

He chuckled and pulled back with a grin, "As much as I don't want to admit it, I know you're right. We need to stop. I wouldn't want your coworkers finding you in a compromising situation." I whined, not wanting to stop kissing him, but knowing we really couldn't finish that in the middle of my hospital.

He kissed the tip of my nose and took me by the hand and started walking the direction that we had been heading to in the first place. After a few minutes, he realized that he had no clue where I needed to go, and slowed his pace, glancing at me.

I smirked at him, "What? Why did you slow down?"

He fumbled over his words, "I…uh…I don't know where to go."

I grinned, "I was wondering when you were going to figure that out. I just wanted to see where you intended to take me."

He got the devilish look in his eyes yet again and said, in his very low, sexy voice, "So, are you telling me that you will follow me wherever I take you?"

This time it was me who stammered, "Uh…well…uh…did… you _want…_to take me…somewhere?" Desperately hoping he did, but not wanting him to notice the desperation in my voice.

He stopped, causing me to jerk to a stop as well since our hands were still laced together. He pulled me close – closer than I had been so far – put his forehead to mine, and, with a very deep, primal voice, said "Oh Isabella, there are so many things I _want _to do to you." He pressed his erection against me again. _Is that just me or is he even harder? Oh my gosh, we need to get out of here! NOW!_

That was it! I was done being brought to a bumbling mess by that man. He knew what he was doing to me. Well, two could play at that game, sweetheart. Quickly, so he wouldn't know what was coming, I reached my hand down and grabbed his hard…_holy hell! Surely that is not__** all **__him? Is it?_

"Uuuhng!" Edward grunted, and quickly grabbed my hand. "Now, Isabella, that was not very nice! Here I am trying to be a gentleman and you are making that extremely difficult!" He hadn't let go of my hand, however, and suddenly turned it around to where my hand was cupping my very own arousal. He grinned his most wicked grin yet and then slowly took my fingers and began to move them back and forth right where I desperately wanted _his _fingers. My _very_ thin scrubs did nothing to hide my feelings of instant arousal. There was something so fucking hot about him using my own fingers to try to bring me pleasure. My breathing started picking up and my eyes rolled back in my head. I was close already.

Then Edward leaned in and whispered, "Isabella, do you like touching yourself?" He kissed me passionately, while increasing the speed of our fingers. I threw my head back, breathing hard and moaning. "Shh…Do you know how much I like seeing you touch yourself? God, I could almost cum just watching you. Ah, but I don't ever want to cum again until my hard cock is wrapped inside your warm, wet pussy and your lips are clinching around me with your release." With that, I leaned into his chest and bit him to keep from screaming as one of the most intense orgasms I had ever experienced exploded inside of me. This with my own fingers! Well, sort of.

He let go of my hand and slowly traced his fingers up my arm until he was cupping my cheek. "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I'd like to see that every day for the rest of my life." With that, he leaned in and gave me a chaste, yet sensual kiss and smiled. "Now, where were we heading again?"

oOo

Ten minutes, and three make-out sessions later, I was finally at the locker room. "Give me five minutes and I will be right out." I said as I regretfully released his hand.

He pouted like I had just told him he couldn't go outside to play. I giggled, kissed his chin and said, "I won't be long, stop pouting." Edward sulked over to the wall and then leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest, still pouting.

I giggled again, shook my head and walked into the locker room. I changed quickly out of my scrubs, looked in the mirror and realized I looked atrocious! I hurriedly ran a brush through my hair, added a bit of face powder – I don't normally wear makeup, it breaks me out – and a bit of gloss to my lips. I spritzed some body spray on and quickly swiped my underarms with deodorant, just in case. I felt much better, so I grabbed my clothes, stuffed them in my duffle bag, closed my locker and headed back toward Edward.

Just before I opened the door from the locker room, I heard Edward laugh. I stopped. I honestly don't know why I did; I'm usually not a nosy person.

I heard Tanya's – the beautiful, but easy tramp of SGH – sickening sweet voice saying, "So, why are you standing out here, sweetheart? Were you waiting for me?" At this point, I was scared about how Edward would respond. He wasn't tied to me in any way. Goodness, I'd only known him a few hours. Tanya may have annoyed me like fingers on a chalkboard, but she had a great body and she knew how to use it to get what she wanted. I had never seen a man turn her down before.

"Actually, I'm waiting for Isabella… er Bella. She's just in the locker room getting changed."

"Aww, that's too bad." Her voiced dripped of pure sex – it made me nauseous. "I was hoping you weren't busy. I thought maybe you would like to go out for a drink."

"Sorry, I already have plans. Thanks for the offer, though. It was nice meeting you…" he trailed off, not knowing her name.

"Tanya, sweetheart. Perhaps some other time. Why don't I give you my number?" I was almost certain she had her hands on him somewhere at that point.

He cleared his throat, "That won't be necessary, but thank you." _Wow! Really? Maybe he just doesn't like drop-dead gorgeous strawberry blondes. I can't imagine anyone turning down Tanya._

"Aww, are you sure, honey? I could show you a really good time. I know how bring a man to his knees… in a very good way." _Ugh, I just puked in my mouth._

"Look… Tanya, I am sure you are a… nice lady, and I am sure many guys would like to be brought to their knees by you, but I am just not interested. If anyone is going to bring me to my knees it will be Bella, just as I plan to bring her to _her _knees. Now, if you would please remove your hand from my arm, I would greatly appreciate it." I heard Tanya huff and then storm off down the hall.

_What the hell just happened? Did he seriously just turn Tanya down for me? And then did he tell her he plans for me to bring him to his knees? Surely I must be dreaming! This kind of stuff never happens to me. {pinch}_

"Ow!"_ Nope, not dreaming._

I felt a gust of air and looked up to see Edward smirking down at me. "How long have you been standing there?"

"What? I just got…er…aw, hell! For a bit. I'm sorry, I just heard Tanya and wanted to see what kind of crap she was up to. I didn't mean to eavesdrop." I blushed and hung my head.

He stepped closer to me, pulled my chin up to his face and said, "I don't care that you were listening. I didn't say anything I would hide from you. I do, however, wish you hadn't left me alone with that vulture to fend for myself!"

I laughed, "It sounds to me like you took care of yourself pretty well. It was quite impressive, actually."

Edward blushed! He actually blushed! It was the cutest thing I had ever seen!

He looked up, noticing my shocked face, "What?" He suddenly sounded apprehensive.

"You, Edward Cullen, just blushed! Don't deny it! I saw it with my own two eyes."

He mumbled, while turning his head away from me, "I don't know what you're talking about." He grabbed my hand and started walking me toward the parking garage.

Edward followed me to my truck, and I started getting anxious. I didn't really want to leave him, but it was very late and I didn't want to keep him out later than he was comfortable. What was comfortable for him? I didn't even know…

As I got close enough to put the key in the door, I slowly turned and looked at him. "Well, this is me," I shrugged. "Will I get to see you again?" I asked nervously. _This guy just gave you an amazing orgasm and you are nervous about asking to see him again? You seriously have issues Bella Swan. _

Edward came closer, pinning me against the door of my truck. "Oh no, Isabella. I thought we made it _very_ clear that I wanted to do lots and lots of things to you. I thought you were going to follow me wherever I go. Was I being too presumptuous? If so, tell me, I would never want you to do something you didn't want to do."

I swallowed, leaned into him and whispered as seductively as possible for someone with absolutely no skills at being sexy, "Edward, I will do and want to do whatever you ask me to." I heard a slow grumble start in his chest as he pushed his hips further into me.

"Isabella, you should never agree to do whatever a man asks you to! Have you no regard for self-preservation?"

I grinned slyly at him. "I am a great judge of character, and I completely trust you," I moved my hand to the waist of his pants. "And I'm fully prepared to do whatever you ask of me."

He shuddered, looking almost pained, but quickly shook it off and slid his hands further down to my thighs and lifted my legs to wrap them around his waist. "_Whatever, _Isabella? Are you sure you can handle everything I can dish out?"

I cleared my throat, making sure my voice worked. "I'm sure I can keep up. Lead the way, and I'll follow you." I winked slowly.

Edward leaned down, pressed his lips against collarbone and then flicked his tongue out causing goosebumps to rise all over my body. He licked across my collarbone, up my neck, only to stop and begin sucking on my earlobe, causing another wave of shivers and goosebumps. "As much as I would love to lead you to my house, I am afraid I have no transportation. I was brought here by ambulance."

"Oh, Edward! I am such an idiot! I am so sorry! I didn't even think about you needing a ride home. I feel awful. I was just going to leave you here in the parking garage with no way home."

"Calm down." He laughed lightly. "I would not have been stranded. We have a deputy who stays behind at the fire station for these very reasons. He comes to pick up any of us stragglers who need a ride." He grinned slyly.

"Oh, well, in that case… _Do you wanna ride tonight? You know you wanna ride tonight – get freaky with me – you know you wanna_." I sang in his ear.

Edward bit my neck and growled. _Growled? Seriously? That was so freaking hot! _He then thoroughly shocked me by singing the last part of the song,

"_Now you can do me do me do me do me_

_Nobody has to know my baby_

_I won't tell_

_Now baby c'mon and lets spend the night_

_We can do it over, till we get it right (baby) _

_Do you wanna ride my baby?_

_Now do you wanna ride with me baby?_

_I know you wanna roll with me honey"_

I clawed at Edward's back and groaned into his ear, "How fast can we get to your place?" I handed him my keys, while grinding against him one more time before wiggling down to stand on the ground.

**A/N **

**The song Bella and Edward sing is Do You Wanna Ride by Adina Howard**


	5. Your Mama Taught You Better Than That!

Thanks to AS08 and SBA for adding the stuffing to my turkey! This story is as much yours as it is mine! I (heart) you bbs!

SM owns these characters. I just give them lemonade.

**Your Mama Taught You Better Than That!**

EPOV

I was going to wring Emmett's neck! I knew that I needed to remedy that ASAP. Poor Isabella, she was probably having a heart attack right at that very moment. "What the hell, Em? That's not even funny!"

Emmett started into one of his childish laughing fits. Isabella was extremely tense, I could feel her stiffen at my side and I was willing to bet she was getting ready to run out of the room and never look back. I grabbed her shoulders to stop her, to encourage her not to leave.

"Emmett, I said it isn't funny, now look at Isabella, does she look like she thinks it's funny?" I scowled at him, letting him know I meant business. Finally, it looked like something was sinking into that small brain of his.

"Aww, Sweetcheeks, I'm sorry. It was only a joke. I swear. Edward is as single as a Kraft individual slice of cheese! I was just messing with him, I'm sorry. That's just what we do…" _Thanks for that analogy Em._

Isabella released a gush of air, hopefully convinced that Emmett was playing around. I wasn't sure though, and it was driving me crazy. I began to rub her shoulders to try to calm her.

"It was a bad joke. Emmett is missing a brain filter. I am really sorry about that."

She turned to me and smiled, "It's okay. You can't help it if your friend's not playing with a full deck." _Wow, she knows Emmett all too well. Beautiful and witty too. I was so glad she could dish it right back to him.__._

"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Emmett chuckled.

Isabella giggled - the most perfect, tiny giggle… I could listen to that on repeat all day long - and she replied, "Yes, yes you do!"

I moved one of my hands from her shoulder to her hip. She bit her lip —_ so fucking sexy —_ and explained that she needed to clock out because her shift was over and she wanted to avoid getting in trouble for mingling while on the clock.

I told her I would like to walk her out and encouraged Em to get some rest so he could face his 'angel' tomorrow. He was lucky he was still breathing after that stunt he had pulled!

We walked down the hall a bit, my mind was going in a million different directions. I could feel the warmth from her body, and her smell... she smelled so good — that smell was being forever etched in my brain. Suddenly, I just couldn't stand it anymore, I had to kiss her.

Before I knew what was happening, I had pinned her against the wall. I was mesmerized by her face, by those eyes; our faces were almost touching when I whispered how much I wanted to kiss her. I was begging. I didn't know what I would do if she denied me, but I did know that I simply couldn't be around her any longer without kissing those voluptuous lips. She nodded her head. _Thank you Jesus! I owe you one, Big Guy._

I leaned forward slowly and started to kiss her. _I feel like I have died and gone to heaven. Those lips, those amazing lips feel so much better than I ever could have imagined._

I intended the kiss to remain light and brief, but my body took over, leaving my mind far behind. I realized that my hands had started to move toward her waist, but I was still in control and managed to remain a safe distance from her gorgeous body. She tilted her head slightly.

_My mind's telling me no…_

_But my body…my body's telling me yes!_

That stupid fucking song popped in my head. Yes, it was quite appropriate in this situation, but I needed to control myself. _Stay. In. Control._

My lips had inadvertently started moving faster and enthusiastically. She moaned… she fucking moaned! Did she not realize what that just did to me? _Dear God, please knock some sense in this woman. How am I supposed to stop myself when she's practically purring in my mouth?_

Her hands began to creep up my chest, around my neck, to the back of my head. Her fingers ran through my hair. _Man, that feels so fucking good!_

She parted her lips just a bit and I compulsively followed suit and that little freak of a woman moved her tongue out ever so slightly, touching my lip.

I pulled away, the tiniest bit, whimpering like a fucking pathetic puppy. "God, Isabella." I immediately went back to kissing her, that time more forcefully. I moved my tongue out minutely, but she took initiative and plunged in. That caused me to groan and unintentionally pulled her closer to me. The crazy little minx in front of me pulled me even closer, forcing my hardened cock to come in contact with her hip. A fucking whimper escaped my lips again. _I cannot control myself around this woman. How fucking embarrassing — was that a__puppy sound?_

"Edward!" She gasped. She pulled away a bit, "We have to stop." But she pulled my head closer and attacked me again.

Chuckling, I pulled back and grinned at her. "As much as I don't want to admit it, I know you're right. We need to stop. I wouldn't want your coworkers to find you in a compromising situation." _Honestly, I wouldn't mind bending her over and fucking her in front of the whole damned hospital, but I am sure she wouldn't appreciate losing her job or the humiliation that would ensue._

She whined, and I kissed the tip of her nose, grabbed her hand and began pulling us in the direction we were already heading, but then I realized that I had no idea where exactly that was. I slowed down and glanced up at her. _How did I let my brain get so clouded that I was trying to lead her around her own hospital?_

She teased me, knowing I had no idea where I was going.

When I admitted I had no idea where to go, she grinned flirtatiously, "I was wondering when you were going to figure that out. I just wanted to see where you intended to take me." _Really?_

I lowered my voice, "So, are you telling me that you will follow me wherever I take you?" _Please say yes…._

She stuttered, "Uh…well…uh…did…you _want…_to take me…somewhere?" _Oh boy, do I…_

I stopped abruptly and Isabella jerked to a stop. I pulled her closer, touched our foreheads together and spoke with the only voice I could muster. "Oh Isabella, there are so many things I _want _to do to you." I pressed up against her. I knew this was a bad idea, but I couldn't control myself. I was finding that the more I was around her the less control I seemed to have.

All of a sudden I noticed a wicked gleam in here eye and just a second later I felt her hand on my dick. _What?_ I grunted and stilled her hand. "Now, Isabella, that was not very nice! Here I am trying to be a gentleman and you are making that very difficult!" _God, if she only knew how difficult._ _ Ahhh, let's see how difficult I can make things for Miss Beauty here! Two can play at that game…._

I turned the hand I was still holding until she was cupping her own arousal. I grinned deviously and started moving her fingers against her sex. _Shit what have I done? This was a mistake! _Her breathing picked up and her eyes rolled back in her head. _Fuck. How can this be so hot?_

I leaned in, "Isabella, do you like touching yourself?" I kissed her while I began increasing the movement of her fingers. She let her head fall back and started moaning. "Shh…Do you know how much I like seeing you touch yourself? God I could almost cum just watching you. Ah, but I don't ever want to cum again until my hard cock is wrapped inside your warm, wet pussy and your lips are clenching around me with your release." _Where the hell is that coming from? I never talk dirty to women! What is this woman doing to me?_

She slammed into my chest and bit me — hard! But damn if that wasn't so fucking sexy!

With every ounce of control I could gather, I released her hand and slowly ran my fingers up her arm, her shoulder and her neck, until I was cupping her cheek. "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I'd like to see that every day for the rest of my life." I leaned in and gave her quick kiss and smiled. "Now, where were we heading again?"

oOo

"Give me five minutes and I will be right out," she said releasing my hand when we got to her locker room.

I jutted out my lower lip, pretending to pout and causing her to giggle. She kissed my chin, "I won't be long, stop pouting." I slumped against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest, still pretending to pout.

She shook her head, giggling again, and walked into the locker room.

She hadn't been gone more than two minutes when an attractive woman came toward me. I think she was trying to walk seductively, but it was highly overemphatic. Her hips were swaying unnaturally and she honestly just looked like she had some kind of dysfunctional joint problem. I cringed, hoping she wouldn't stop to talk, but it was pretty obvious those were her intentions.

She stalked up to me until I could smell her minty breath. _Personal space much? Thank you for at least using breath mints!_

"Hey there, Sugar! Aren't you just the most gorgeous piece of meat I have ever laid eyes on!"

I laughed. I couldn't help it. She was just so obvious with her intentions, I actually felt sorry for her.

"So, why are you standing out here, sweetheart? Were you waiting for me?" _Know how your mouth starts to water right before you vomit? Yeah, thus began the waterworks._

"Actually I am waiting for Isabella… er Bella. She is in the locker room getting changed." _I was hoping she had enough brains to take the hint._

"Aww, that's too bad." I think that was her sexy voice? It was nauseating. She reached over with her blood-red tipped talons — otherwise known as fingers — and said, "I was hoping you weren't busy. I thought maybe you would like to go out for a drink." _It would take quite a bit__more than _one _drink to make me want to spend time with you._

"Sorry, I already have plans. Thanks for the offer, though." _Time to lie like a dog, Cullen. _"It was nice meeting you…" I really didn't want to know her name, but the names I had in my head wouldn't have been appropriate to say to her face.

"Tanya, sweetheart. Perhaps some other time." _I don't think so…. _"Why don't I give you my number?"

_Can she honestly not take a hint? This ship has sailed, darling. Time you should realize that._

I cleared my throat hoping to make this perfectly clear for the ditz in front of me. "That won't be necessary, but thank you." _Move along, move along._

"Aww, are you sure honey? I could show you a really good time. I know how to bring a man to his knees… in a very good way." _What is with this crazy female? Is it really that hard for her to believe that I. Am. Not. Interested?_

"Look… Tanya, I am sure you are a… nice lady, and I am sure many guys would like to be brought to their knees by you, but I am not interested. If anyone is going to bring me to my knees it will be Bella, just as I plan to bring her to _her _knees. Now, if you would please remove your hand from my arm, I would greatly appreciate it." _Is that plain enough for you Jessica Simpson?_

She huffed and strutted off down the hall, still trying to sway her hips.

"Ow!" I heard that very familiar little voice on the other side of the door, and opened it quickly to see Isabella standing there looking down at her arm. I could tell she had been standing there for a few minutes by how still she was.

I smirked, "How long have you been standing there?"

She blushed a beautiful crimson and hung her head as she told me she had been there a while and heard everything.

I stepped closer and pulled her chin up, telling her I didn't mind that she had been listening. _She cared enough to eavesdrop, that was a good sign, right?_

She laughed and told me it was impressive how I had handled Tanya.

I then realized what I had said to Tanya and felt my feet heat up. I glanced at her and she had an odd expression on her face.

"What?" She had me nervous all of a sudden.

"You, Edward Cullen, just blushed! Don't deny it! I saw it with my own two eyes."

I mumbled, and turned my head away from her, "I don't know what you are talking about." I grabbed her hand and started walking toward the parking garage.

I followed her to her truck and wondered what was going to happen next. I hadn't thought that far ahead.

As she got close enough to put the key in the door, she turned to look at me. She nervously asked if she would get to see me again.

I trapped her against her truck and reminded her of the banter we had already exchanged about all the things I wanted to do to her - and how she had said she would follow me. _Please tell me you meant it. Please tell me our time together isn't over tonight. Please don't make me walk away from you._

She leaned in with the most seductive voice I have ever heard, "Edward, I will do and want to do whatever you ask me to." _Holy hell you shouldn't have said that woman! _I couldn't help the growl that erupted from my chest. I pushed myself further into her.

"Isabella, you should never agree to do whatever a man asks you to! Have you no regard for self-preservation?"

She looked at me sly as a fox, "I am a great judge of character, and I completely trust you," She moved her hand to the waist of my pants. "And I'm fully prepared to do whatever you ask of me."

_Please don't tempt me. I want nothing more than to ask you to straddle me in the bed of this truck and fuck my ever loving brains out. But I don't want to treat you like that. Not yet anyway…_

I lowered my hands and grasped her thighs, lifting and wrapping her legs around my waist. I could literally feel the heat emanating from her center. This was not a good idea. I need to put her back down, now!

"_Whatever,_ Isabella? Are you sure you can handle everything I can dish out?" I needed to let her know that I did not have the most angelic intentions.

She cleared her throat. "I am sure I can keep up. Lead the way, and I will follow you." She winked.

I leaned down and licked her collarbone. _God the way this woman tastes! I could dine on her for eternity!_ I licked up her neck and sucked on her earlobe. "As much as I would love to lead you to my house, I am afraid I have no transportation. I was brought here by ambulance."

She started to freak out telling me she was sorry for not thinking of how I would get home. It was so freaking cute.

I told her to calm down and explained to her how we keep a deputy behind who picks us up. I added a little comment to make her feel guilty and grinned slyly at her.

Then that woman started singing a rarely known song asking me if I wanted to ride and get freaky. _If you only knew, my dear, if you only knew._

I nibbled her neck and growled at her before singing the end of the song letting he know _exactly _what I wanted to do.

She clawed my back — _clawed? Seriously? How freaking hot is that? — _and groaned into my ear, "How fast can you get to your place?" She handed me her keys and ground her extremely heated core against me once again and wiggled down to stand.

You know that song at the end of True Blood? I don't know if anyone listens to the words or not, but the part that stands out to pretty much everyone who watches the show, 'I wanna do bad things with you.' Yeah, that was playing on repeat in my head while I walked her around to the passenger's side door and walked back to the driver's side to take her to my place…_ my place_… this is not going to end well. Well, it will surely end satisfyingly, but I really intended to woo her. I wanted to be a gentleman for her. I wanted to sweep her off her feet and make her forget every other man she had ever been near. But something clicked when I touched her. Some supernatural spark — not something you could physically feel, something spiritual or some shit. I couldn't control myself. I couldn't be the gentleman that my dear mother taught me to be. I had never had this problem before and I was scared shitless at that moment.

I realized I was just standing outside of the door staring into space when Isabella leaned over toward my door and looked up at me with a question in her eyes. _Yes, Isabella, I wanna do bad things with you._

**A/N If you don't know the song from True Blood, you really need to go watch it! It is totally awesomesauce! There is lots of nakedness and really hot guys and just…why are you here? Lol**


	6. Hold Very Still

Thanks to SBA and AS08 for adding the toppings to my pizza! (How come I am always referring to food when I thank you guys?) You ladies are my rock!

SM owns these characters. I just put them in sexual positions.

Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. *Wicked grin*

**Hold Very Still**

BPOV

Edward didn't answer me, he just grabbed the keys, wiggled his eyebrows and led me to the passenger's side door. He had a strange expression on his face as he walked back to the driver's side door. Then he just stood there staring into space. I waited for about 30 seconds and then leaned forward to look up at him and see what was going on. I was hoping he wasn't backing out. I really wanted to be with him. I just couldn't understand it. It was like some strange pull that I just couldn't explain.

He saw me looking at him, and he gave me a sly smile before jumping in and starting my truck. I think I blinked four times and we were pulling up in the driveway of a cute little brown cottage. "Oh my gosh! It's so cute! I never would have taken you for a cottage person." I smiled at him.

He smiled tentatively, "Well, I wouldn't buy a cottage myself, but this house belonged my grandmother. She passed away ten years ago and left this house to me. I was only fifteen, so my parents and I just used it as a winter home at first. I grew up in Chicago and the winter was pretty bad there. I am not a big fan of the snow, so I was more than happy to spend our winters out here. Once I graduated, I was actually excited to take over my grandmother's home full time. I have enjoyed every minute of living here. I didn't change much of her décor, but I have had to do some painting and slight remodeling in areas that were neglected. In a way, I feel close to her by living in this home practically in the same way she did." He had a nostalgic look in his eyes when he smiled and I realized that Edward Cullen was a sentimental, romantic, compassionate, caring, and also incredibly sexy man. I think I could fall in love with him. _WHAT? Bella! Where did that come from? We don't use the L-word! Banish that thought!_

"That is very sweet Edward! Do your parents still live in Chicago?"

Edward gave me a small smile as we began walking into the house. "They do. They usually come here and stay from Thanksgiving until the second week of January. It's a nice middle ground. I get my freedom and don't have the problem of my parents knowing all of my business, yet I also get to spend the most important holidays with them, and it's laid back, just like the old days."

I was so wrapped up in Edward's stories that I hadn't even noticed anything about the inside of the house. It was a quaint, warm and inviting home. There was that 'grandma' smell that I smelled at my own grandparents' houses — must be something about grandparents. You know that smell, it smells like vintage clothes and furniture polish and starch. I loved the smell.

I noticed an array of different types of pictures along the walls. There were old photographs from ages ago of a family of four. I assumed that this was Edward's grandparents and one of his parents.

"Edward, is this your mom's mom or your dad's?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Grandma Elizabeth and Grandpa Joe Platt were my mother's parents. My mother had an older brother, Aro, but he died when he was 18 of some strange disease that originated from Spain. The disease didn't last long enough for scientists to even give it a name. Thousands of people died abruptly and just as abruptly it was over. This devastated my grandparents and convinced my mother to go into the medical field. She was working in a small clinic as an RN, when Carlisle Cullen moved to town and became their Chief of Staff.

"At first my mother, Esme, had no desire to start a relationship because she was so focused on finding a cure to one of the many diseases out there, so she didn't want the disruption. Carlisle was relentless, claiming he fell in love with her the day he met her and would stop at nothing until she became his wife. Esme would always laugh and brush off his declarations thinking that he was either joking or possibly a crazed lunatic.

"Carlisle continued to follow Esme around like a lost puppy for two years until there was a weird twist of fate. Carlisle had a brother, Marcus, who became deathly ill and ended up in the hospital. It seems he had contracted an extremely rare case of Dolor Letum Singultus* and there was no known cure at that time. Carlisle was devastated. The outcome would most likely be grim.

"Esme noticed right away that Carlisle wasn't following her everywhere she went. She thought he might have finally moved on until she went to the local library and saw him sitting in the very back with stacks upon stacks of medical books in front of him. He looked like he hadn't slept for days. She had never seen Carlisle looking less than impeccable, so Esme approached him, causing him to jump completely out of his seat. She could tell he was acting peculiar. She was finally able to get it out of him that his brother was dying and that he was trying to save him.

"Esme, having been through the very same thing earlier in life, sat beside Carlisle and they went through book after book, day after day until one night — right before the library closed at midnight — Esme shouted, 'I've got it!' scaring the librarian, the janitor and ultimately Carlisle who was so wrapped up in his book he forgot where they were. She showed him in the book where it discussed some unorthodox methods that had been successful, but still not perfected. Carlisle's face lit up like a Christmas tree. He grabbed Esme without even thinking, twirled her around and kissed her adamantly and said, 'I love you, Esme.' They were both shocked by his words, but he didn't regret them, knowing full well that he did. In fact, not only did he love her but he had for over two years.

"They worked together over the next fifteen days perfecting the cure until they were sure they had it right. They checked, double checked, and triple checked before they used it on Marcus. They didn't have time to get it approved, and they could have gotten in big trouble for what they did, but Carlisle and Marcus were both willing to take the chance. They started the first dose right away and after only 12 hours they could see a difference in his complexion. After 24 hours they gave him the next dose and very quickly they noticed another change.

"This happened progressively for all five doses until he was released to go home. Of course, the hospital had no idea why he recovered; they thought it was a miracle. It actually was! Had Esme and Carlisle not found each other and Carlisle been head over heels in love with Esme so much so that she noticed when he was absent from her for a few days, there may never have been a cure found. Carlisle and Esme went right away to get it approved so it could be distributed all over the world. Later that year, at the Nobel Prize ceremony they were both attending, Carlisle knelt down in front of all those geniuses in the room and asked her to marry him. Esme couldn't find any reason in her heart not to marry him, so they were married three weeks later. Two years after that, I was born. And the rest is history."

Edward smiled a very proud smile. He had every right to be proud of his parents. Not only did they save his uncle, but they were Nobel Prize winners, for God's sake!

"Wow! Edward, I have no words. That is the most amazing story I have ever heard. You are a very lucky man to have such great parents. I feel like I should pay a toll to be sitting beside you or something!"

Edward laughed, pulling us down on the couch, so that my legs were across his lap. "I can think of a way to pay your toll…" he said as he pulled my hair back off my shoulder and kissed and licked my neck.

"Hmm, and what would that be?" I teased.

"Use your imagination. I am sure whatever fantasy you can concoct will be more than enough of a toll to be in the presence of the Great Edward Anthony Cullen." He snickered, never taking his lips from my neck, occasionally nipping and licking the sensitive flesh causing me to moan and gasp. Edward painstakingly slowly began to trail his fingers across the sliver of skin below my tank. He crept up a tiny bit higher, not near fast enough for my liking. I tried to scoot down and cause his hand to go higher, but he instantly stopped and pulled his hand out.

I started to protest, but he wrapped his lips around mine rendering me unable to speak. I moaned, trying to move to straddle him, but Edward wouldn't have it. He flipped me where my back was flush against his chest and he reclined back on the armrest of the couch, pulling his and my legs up across the cushions. Edward's mouth was in direct contact with my ear and I could hear every breath he took. His breathing was erratic, letting me know he wasn't as calm and collective as he wanted me to believe. He grabbed both of my wrists and pulled my hands up over my head and wrapped them around his neck.

"I want you to keep your hands right there. One movement from you and I will stop, do you understand?" _Is it normal for a woman to get so incredibly turned on when a man orders her not to move? Who cares? As I said before, if I am going crazy, I might as well enjoy it… and boy was I._

I nodded, because, I knew my voicebox wouldn't cooperate, so there was no sense in even trying.

"Good. Now, Isabella, do you want to cum? Tell me... how bad do you wanna cum?"

"Oh God!"

"God won't help you now, Isabella. I asked you a question. Do you?"

"Yes! Yes! Fucking yes!"

With that, he reached down and grabbed the hem of my shirt and started to raise it slowly, making sure all of his fingers stayed in contact with my skin the entire time. As his fingers came in contact with my erect nipples, he sucked in a breath. "I can't wait to taste those luscious tits. Do you want my tongue on your nipples?"

I nodded quickly, afraid he would stop if I didn't answer fast enough. He had pulled my shirt completely off and tossed it somewhere behind us. He trailed his fingers back down my arms to my shoulders, across my collarbones, between the valley of my breasts down to my navel. He circled my navel a few times before dipping his finger and pulling it out quickly. He trailed down further, to the waist of my yoga pants and barely slid his thumb under the elastic before coming back up the same route he just followed. I whimpered and he sighed, "Unh uh, Isabella. No whining. Just feel. Feel what I can do to you."

Edward continued up to my shoulder and gently slid the straps of my bra off and kissed where they had been. "You have the sexist shoulders I have ever seen."

He gently freed my breasts from their confinement and began to massage them. I let out a strange sound of enjoyment I had never heard come out of my mouth before. "Ah, yes, you are starting to feel." He then lightly pinched both nipples at the same time causing me to squeak. At that same time, he started to suck at the hollow beneath my ear. I arched my back and inadvertently ground my ass into Edward's bulging crotch. He quickly grabbed my waist and groaned, "I told you no movements, did you not listen?"

I panted, trying to catch my breath. "Edward! I can't… it's too hard… it feels too good. Please, Edward. I'm sorry." Yes, I had lowered myself to begging. Trust me, you would too if you felt what I was feeling.

"Isabella, do you know how much restraint I have to have to watch you come undone while your perfect ass is directly above my throbbing cock? I want this to be about you, but if you continue to tempt me, I will just have to bend you over this couch and fuck you hard and fast, and believe me, I do _not _want to do that." _Why the hell not? Forget taking it slow. We can do slow later!  
_

"I'm sorry. I will try harder. You are in control," I breathed heavily.

"You're right. I am in control. You cum when I decide you cum. You don't like not being in control, do you? Let go of your control and I promise you the payoff will be worth it." He then picked up where he left off and I tried very hard not to move. I tried to think of needles stabbing me, electrical shock, anything, but I was still not able to remain completely still. Luckily, if the movements were small, he would continue.

Edward continued to stroke my breast with his left hand while his right hand started to descend. _Yes! Please, yes! Head to the Promised Land! Please! I can't take it much more!_

Two fingers slid under my waistband. His long fingers lightly grazed my bare skin where once there was a curly patch of hair. The teeth that were barely grazing my neck instantly bit down. I yelped. _Yelped? Puppies, yelp you freaking moron! _Great, Edward had made me yelp like a puppy, mew like a kitten, and squeak like a mouse all in less than 12 hours. I wonder how many more animal sounds he will bring out of me…

"Shit! I'm sorry." He started kissing where he had just bit me. The quick change from pain to pleasure was completely erotic. I wanted him to do it again.

"Edward. Do it again."

"…do what?"

"Bite me, Edward! Please!"

"Fu-uck" Edward's breathing picked up and he leaned in and bit me again. This time, as I was prepared for it, I didn't yelp like a fucking puppy. This time I moaned and ground hard into his cock.

He jerked me up off of his chest. I was afraid I had made him mad, but when I looked in his eyes I saw pure, unadulterated lust. I am sure he saw a very similar reflection in my face. He flipped me over on my back and began to attack my skin everywhere with his lips. His hands were moving every which direction. They started out soft and sensual, but started to get hurried and needy.

He raised up on his knees and took a deep breath. He looked down at me with smoldering eyes. Taking three more deep breaths, like he was focusing his thoughts or something, he then bent down slowly and started to kiss my forehead, softly moving to my cheek, down my jaw, over to my ear, quickly sucking in my lobe and releasing it to lightly blow on it. He kissed down my shoulder, down my arm, to my wrist, then picking up my hand, he pulled my fingers up to his mouth and briefly sucked on the ends of each finger. It was slow and sensual and caused me to ache worse than I ever had.

Edward tenderly lifted my waistband to my pants and began to ease them down my thighs. Without stopping his hands, he lowered his lips and kissed my lace-covered sex. I gasped and he moaned. He had completely removed my pants and was tracing his hands back up my ankles, caressing every inch of skin he came in contact with. He moved up my calves, over my knees, to my thighs. When he reached my thighs, he spread his fingers wide, touching as much skin as he could. He slowly moved higher and higher until his thumbs lightly grazed my panties.

"Edward, please! I need you."

"In due time, sweetheart, all in due time. Let me worship you just a bit longer."

He pulled the lace down and flung it across the room. Edward wasn't moving and I opened my eyes to see what was wrong. He had the kid-in-a-candy-store look on his face.

He noticed I was watching him and said, "Perfect. Absofuckinglutely perfect. I have never seen anything truly perfect until this moment. I will remember this for as long as I live." He lowered his lips and ever so softly grazed my lower lips, while letting out a quick breath. He teasingly pushed the tip of his tongue past my lips barely coming in contact with the place I needed him most. I couldn't help it, I bucked my hips toward his face causing his tongue to completely submerge in between my lips. I cried out, "Edward! Yes!"

"Fuck, you taste amazing!" And he buried his face again, lapping away at every inch. He flattened his tongue and then curled it and then wiggled it. He did the most amazing things with that tongue. Edward Cullen was a tongue god! As if I wasn't already close enough, he swiftly inserted two fingers, curling towards my most sensitive spot.

"Shit! Fuck! Son of a—! Edward I'm—ugh!" I screamed while seeing white flashes behind my eyes. He continued to suck up all of my lady juices while I was coming down trying to be able to utter a single fucking word.

He peeked up at me from between my legs — the sexiest thing I have ever seen — and grinned a grin that put the Cheshire Cat to shame. He stealthily inched up my body, grin still going strong.

I looked at him puzzled. "What?" I pulled up one side of my mouth. I was anxious to know why he was looking at me like I was he prey.

When he was finally completely on top of me, he licked my jaw to my chin, then kissed my lips, opening my mouth with his tongue and began to gently massage my tongue back and forth, front to back, and finally pulled out and huskily ask, "Do you like how you taste as much as I do, Isabella?" _OH My God! I didn't even realize where his tongue had just been until he said something. _

Apparently, I had a look of horror on my face because Edward, grabbed the sides of my face with both hands and said, "I am so sorry! I am a fucking idiot! I shouldn't have forced my tongue in your mouth." He leaned his forehead against mine, looking incredibly ashamed. I needed to fix things quickly before he went all emo on me.

I grinned at him. "Edward, you don't need to be sorry. That tongue… ugh, that tongue is amazing! I don't care what you do with it, just as long as I get to feel it again and again!"

He looked up at me under his lashes and smirked. He leaned in to my ear and said, "I have dreamt for years of eating a bare pussy and you gave me that pleasure tonight! It was the most magnificent thing I have ever done. It will supply me with many, many nights of self-love, I can promise you that." He pecked a small kiss on my neck and pulled back to sit up on the couch.

Hearing him mention self-love reminded me that the whole night he had been hard and had no release! He gave me two glorious orgasms and was satisfied to just watch. That simply was not good enough for me. I wanted to make him feel as good as he made me feel. I jumped up, ran across the room, grabbed my bag and made it look like I was getting out my chapstick, when I actually got a little surprise for him.

Edward raised an eyebrow at me, probably wondering why I had to go get my chapstick before I even got dressed.

"Sorry, kissing chaps my lips; I have to coat them right away." I hope he bought that completely idiotic lie.

I discreetly slid the red packet between the cushions so he couldn't see.

He kept staring at me, possibly trying to figure out why I was bouncing around his house naked. I giggled thinking of what might be going through his head. He looked at me confused.

I grabbed Edward by the shoulders and lowered him to the couch the same way he had me just a few minutes before. _I have plans for you, so buckle up, GG!_

I hopped up and straddled his lap while tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"Isabella, I—"

"Remember what you said to me? 'Just feel'? Lay back and relax, GG." My eyes bugged out of my head and I slapped my hand over my mouth, but it was too late, I had already called him that stupid, girly name. _Way to go, Swan, you freaking idiot…_

"Crap, Edward, I am sorry! I didn't mean to call you that."

Edward didn't look mad. Edward didn't look embarrassed. Edward didn't look hurt. Edward looked…_jealous?_

"Can you at least tell me _why _you called me another name? Are you… in a relationship?"

I busted out laughing. He really _was_ jealous, wasn't he? _But why? That makes no sense._ Not seeing the humor yet, he was starting to look frustrated.

I immediately turned red thinking about what I was getting ready to say to him. "Well, when I first met you, I didn't have your chart and the most noticeable thing about you was your eyes…"I trailed off knowing that that wasn't enough information, but hoping he wouldn't make me humiliate myself and tell him it all. _Fat chance, Bella._

"Ok, but that doesn't explain Gigi. Gigi is a woman's name. Did my eyes remind you of a woman? Help me out, here, because I am confused."

I huffed, knowing it had to come out. "Gorgeous Greeneyes… GG for short, not Gigi, silly"

Speaking of those gorgeous green eyes, they sparked right up hearing their little pet name. "Gorgeous, huh? Do you really think I am gorgeous?"

"Hate to burst your bubble, there Don Juan, but I called your eyes gorgeous, not you," I said, smiling a wicked smile.

He grabbed his heart faking hurt from my words. I ignored him.

"Ok, _Gigi, _can we get back to business, now?" I really wanted to see his cumface and I definitely wanted to hear him say my name during his climax.

I started lifting his shirt and he complied. He kept trying to touch my body everywhere and I kept swatting his hands away. I grabbed his wrists and put them up above his head. I glared at him and dared him to move his hands again.

He grinned, saying, "Yes, ma'am!" and wiggled his eyebrows. _Oh yes, I am going to enjoy this!_ I reached out and unbuttoned his jeans and started to pull them down. He shifted so I could lower them completely off of him. Edward was still grinning. _It won't be long before that grin is wiped off, honey. _I grabbed the waistband of his boxer briefs and started to pull them down and he grabbed my wrists. I gave him an evil eye because I had just warned him about moving his hands.

"Wait... if we are both naked on this couch, it is only going to end one way, and one way only." _Well, duh! _

"I thought I warned you about moving your hands!" I twisted my wrists in order to grab his, but he just held on harder.

"I am not kidding. Leave. The. Pants. On." He looked pretty serious and I started to wonder if something was wrong with Lil Eddie and he didn't want me to see. Then I got scared thinking maybe he just didn't want me that way. But that didn't make sense, why would he completely undress me…

Suddenly, I felt like I was going to be sick. I was a moron to assume things with him. Fear crept over my face and as I tried to get up, Edward tightened his hold on my wrists. "Hey, look at me." I closed my eyes. "Isabella, please, please look at me." He begged me.

So softly I wasn't sure he could hear it, I said, "I can't."

He let go of my wrists only to grab my face in both hands. "Isabella, what's wrong? Why can't you look at me? Please tell me."

"You don't want me." I choked out, feeling a traitor tear fall from my eye.

Edward instantly sat up with me still straddled — naked — in his lap. He pulled me so close I almost couldn't breathe. "If you knew how much I wanted you right now, you would never doubt me again. It is taking every single fiber of my being, every ounce of the gentlemanly conduct that has been instilled in me, to not grab you and ravage your whole entire body. I meant what I said tonight when I wanted to just worship you. You are a beautiful, intelligent, funny, caring, thoughtful woman and you deserve to be worshipped! I hope to be able to worship you like you deserve many, many times."

"Then why won't you be with me?"

He chuckled. "I am not an innocent man. I have had my share of women. When I met you tonight, I promised that if you would give me the opportunity, I would do things differently with you. I want to take you out and get to know you. I do not want to sleep with you right away. I really, really would like a chance for things to work out with us… if you are willing to try for it, that is."

"That is a very sweet gesture, and one I will never forget you intended to make, but I have never been attracted to a man like I am attracted to you. Feel this." I pulled his hand towards my very wet center and he tried to pull away, but I gave him a dirty look and grasped harder, pulling him to show him just how wet I was again.

"God! You are so wet! How can you be so wet again?" Then he pulled his hand back and put his fingers in his mouth, sucking off every bit of juice on his digits. My mouth dropped and my eyes became lidded. _That was so hot!_

I realized Edward was just staring at me with a quirked eyebrow. _Oh, yeah, question… question, what question did he ask? _

Clearing my throat, "See? I have been like that every second with you. I have never experienced anything like this before." I started pushing his shoulders back toward the couch again while mumbling, "I need you inside me. I need your cock inside my pussy or I am going to spontaneously combust!"

I heard a low rumbling coming from Edward's chest. I leaned forward and caressed his earlobe with my tongue. He grabbed my wrist and I said, "No, no, remember, hands go up there." I pointed over his head. "Now, we can do this the hard way or we can do this the easy way. You can fight me or you can relax, but either way, I will have you in me tonight! I promise you!" I lowered my voice to sound more seductive, "And if we do it the easy way, you will get to cum faster and twice as hard, now what's your decision?"

I pulled back and could see the answer in Edward's eyes. _This is going to be so much fun!_

Knowing that Edward and I were on the same page, then, I continued to pull his boxer briefs down his legs.

Standing before me was the most perfect penis I have ever seen — and working in the ER, believe me, I have seen my fair share. I couldn't hold back any longer. I bent forward and licked the glistening tip.

Edward hissed under his breath, "Shit! Isabella, please, just come up here. I don't want to fuck your mouth. I told you I want to worship you tonight." He tried to pull up my shoulders, but I had plans and by golly I was going to finish my plans come hell or high water.

I looked at him. "Hands up, mouth shut. I let you have control earlier, it is my turn. Agreed?"

Edward realized he wasn't going to win this argument, so he sighed and leaned his head back mumbling, "If you insist… but I still don't like it."

"But you will" I tried to whisper, but Edward's head popped up looking into my eyes with complete lust. I smirked at him, and pushed his shoulders back down. I lowered myself back to his hardened member, which seemed to get harder by the second. I licked my lips and looked up to see Edward with his eyes closed. "Edward…" He didn't move. "Edward…" Again, he didn't move. "Edward!" His eyes flipped open and he looked at me getting ready to speak. "I want you to watch your cock go in my mouth." I lowered my mouth and started to lick the underside of his shaft before I sucked him completely inside my mouth.

"Son of a—! Fuuuuck, shitfuck!"

I licked and sucked him all over for a few minutes while squeezing his balls eliciting the most amazing noises from this man. I could record those noises on a CD and listen to them on repeat for the rest of my life. I knew he was getting close, so I slowly released him from my mouth, and said, "I am sorry, Edward, I can't let you cum yet, I have better plans for you tonight." I grinned while reaching in between the cushions. I ripped open the packet where Edward couldn't see. I am pretty sure he had a good idea what I had in my hand, but I doubt he knew what was getting ready to happen. I leaned down slightly out of his line of sight and placed the condom around my lips so that it would unroll the correct way. I leaned back up and placed my lips around the head of his dick, and slowly pushed the condom down to the base using my mouth and tongue.

Edward shot up from his seat faster than you could say "Hot tamale!" and grabbed my shoulders, looking in my eyes—his eyes as huge as saucers. "HOLY FUCK, Isabella, where the hell did you learn that? That was the hottest thing I have ever seen! Shit!"

I smirked at him and said, "I thought you might like that. And just so you know, no one taught me! It took lots and lots of practice on many mutilated bananas to perfect that. I couldn't wait to find someone I actually wanted to use it on! So you liked it, huh?"

"As long as I shall live, nothing will ever top that as the most erotic thing that has ever happened to me."

I grinned, "Well, I will have to make sure I change that then, won't I?"

Edward's mouth dropped and his eyes smoldered and he grabbed me by the hips, lifting me up towards him, but halted his movements and looked me in the eye. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life." I smiled a reassuring smile.

He started to pull me to him, but then said, "Wait!" I looked at him questioningly.

Edward stood, hard-on still flapping in the wind with a cherry-flavored condom wrapped firmly around it. I couldn't help but giggle at that sight, causing Edward to shoot me a disapproving look. "I was going to suggest we go to the bed where it is much more comfortable, but if you would rather sit here and make fun of my pink-tinted penis, I am sure we could arrange that instead." Edward said with the tiniest bit of a smile trying to break through.

"Fine! Let's go to the bedroom, but walk slowly so I can watch Eddie Munster waving as he goes!"

He bent down, grabbed me by my waist and hoisted me over his shoulder—my ass at full mast as he slapped it the whole way down the hall.

"Edward! Stop slapping the same place twice! It stings, jerkface!"

He threw me on the bed, stalked up to my face and said, "Is it customary to call someone jerkface who gave you the two best orgasms of your life on the very same night?"

I mumbled, "Who said they were the best? Conceited much?"

His face fell, thinking I might actually be serious, and I grinned. I couldn't keep up pretenses when he looked so downtrodden like that. "Just don't go getting a big head about it. For all you know I have never had an orgasm and there is none to compare it to, obviously making those the best!"

He eyed me speculatively. "Hmm…that's not true, is it?"

I laughed while I flipped him over and straddled his waist. "I sure the fuck would hope I am not a 24-year-old who has never entered into the O-lympics! Granted, most of them have been fingergasms, because few guys take the time out to, as you say, '_worship' _a woman. But I am hoping to raise my tally of cockgasms with this right here," I said grabbing hold of his cock and placing it at my entrance. I slid down on him fast causing him to whimper. _Whimper? God, I probably just broke the perfect penis… just my luck. Nah…_

I began to move up and down Edward's shaft. I watched as his face contorted from shame, to concentration, finally to pure joy. With that look, I knew I was all clear and I started to rock with more force.

Edward grabbed my hips and said, "Isabella, it's been a long time for me. I might not last if you go that fast. You feel so damn tight and perfect around me that I can hardly hold back."

Feeling completely like shit for having already had two amazing orgasms when Edward was sitting here trying not to blow a load — obviously, wanting to be a gentleman — I leaned down, licked his lower lip, sucked it into my mouth and bit down gently.

"Ungh! Shit, Isabella—"

I rocked harder and faster and whispered, "Edward, let go, cum into my wet, hot pussy, right now!"

My ovaries and I started playing "We Are the Champions" in the surround sound of my body while I watched the most beautiful, god-like man before me completely come undone. It was an amazing sight and to know I was responsible for it made it that much more rewarding.

He pulled me down to him, kissing my chin, my jaw, my neck, my lips, all the while rubbing soothing circles on my back. "Why did you do that, Isabella? I didn't want to cum without you."

"You gave me two of the most remarkable orgasms already, it was the least I could do." I smiled, bashfully. "Can I ask a question?" He slumped his shoulders and nodded, obviously knowing what was coming next.

"How long has it been, exactly?"

"If I answer this question for you, can I ask one in return?" He grinned smugly, gently lifting me off him and removing the condom, placing it in a Kleenex that he grabbed from the end table.

"It's only fair."

"Ok, then. It has been about 18 months." He hung his head, embarrassed.

"Eighteen months? ! How could you go that long? And, why?"

Edward raised his head minutely and said softly, "That's two more questions, Isabella, are you willing to answer two more?"

"Eh… uh… we'll come back to those questions. Tell me your first question and let's see how difficult it is." I was already blushing and I wasn't even sure if it was a blush-worthy question. I chanced a glance at Edward to see his eyes were boring in to mine. I averted my eyes quickly and cleared my throat.

"Do your parents live nearby?" Edward asked with a small crooked grin. He was giving me a break because he could see how nervous I was. Ever the gentleman.

"Charlie, er, my dad, lives up north a bit in Forks. He is the chief of police there. Has been for thirty-three years. Renee, my mother, lives in Phoenix with her much younger husband, Phil, and my baby sister, Emily. I see Charlie frequently — if I don't make it up to see him, he comes to visit me. I only get to see Renee when she comes up for Christmas and my birthday. I prefer it that way because my relationship with Renee hasn't always been what you would call a 'healthy relationship'. I was always the adult and she was the unruly teenager. She liked to go out a lot. She dated a lot. She stayed gone a lot. She can't cook toast or boil water without burning the house down…" I looked at Edward, realizing I just spoke nonchalantly about burning down a house to a fireman.

Edward grinned, "You know, I think it was fate that you ended up meeting a firefighter if your mom likes to burn down houses."

I slapped his shoulder. "Is that enough of an answer? Can you answer one of my questions, now?"

Edward glanced up at the ceiling slightly before beginning. "I have never been in a real relationship before. I have dated women here and there, but nothing ever lasted. A year and a half ago, I went to a party with Em and Jazz and got a little too drunk. I awoke the next morning unsure of what had transpired the night before. I was completely naked in my bed, so I assumed I had been with a woman, but I didn't remember a thing.

"Six weeks later a woman knocked on my door and claimed she was pregnant with my child. I had no idea of what I had done that night and I thought it was quite possible she could be telling the truth. I was terrified. It's not that I don't want children, I just want a child to be conceived out of love. A few weeks later, she confessed to me that she wasn't pregnant with my child. Apparently, she was scared that the real father wouldn't step forward and take responsibility, so she tried to convince me it was mine. This was enough to make me decide I wouldn't have sex with random women anymore."

"Wow. Okay, that makes more sense now."

"My turn, now?" I nodded. "Have you been in a relationship before?"

I blew out a gust of air. "I had a pretty serious relationship right out of high school. Jake and I dated for almost two years, and I honestly thought I was in love. Jake was my first kiss, my first boyfriend, and he took my virginity. I could see Jake and I getting married and being together for the rest of our lives. I thought Jake felt that way, too, but I was wrong. I surprised him one day by coming to his house early in the morning to make him breakfast. I knew where he kept a spare key, so I snuck in and was immediately met with Jake and Leah screwing like jackrabbits on the kitchen table. I walked out that door and never turned back.

"I changed the number on my cell and moved in with my best friends, Alice and Rose that same night. Turns out, the nights I didn't stay at Jake's, Leah did. It had been going on for nearly nine months. Jake never knew I caught him. I just disappeared from his life."

Edward rubbed my back, "I am so sorry. Jake obviously didn't know how to appreciate what he had. How did you find out what had been going on if you never confronted him?"

"It was months later before I found out. I guess Jake broke it off with Leah and word spread throughout Forks about their relationship. My dad heard it all and called me. He never knew why I left. I was too mortified to tell him." I was ready to change the subject, so I grinned at him and said, "Enough talk about failed relationships. Tell me, Edward, how does one manage to go eighteen months without a release?"

Edward rolled his eyes, "Whoever said I had no release? It was just never a satisfactory one." He started to grin, but was interrupted by a yawn. "So, would you grant me the privilege of sleeping next to a beautiful woman tonight?"

"I would love to sleep next to you, Gigi," I giggled.

He lightly pinched my hip and said, "Hey! Enough of the girly names, you're giving me a complex!" He pulled the sheet up and twisted us until we were spooning and he nuzzled his face into my neck. "I have really enjoyed tonight, Isabella. If I died right now, I would die a happy man. Thank you." He kissed my neck and rested his head on the pillow.

I hummed a contented sigh, pulled his arms tighter around my waist and said, "The feeling is mutual, no thanks are necessary." Within minutes I drifted off to sleep.

**A/N **

***** **This is not a real disease. I didn't want to take anything away from anyone who really cured a disease. These words basically mean Suffering death, death rattle in Latin.**


	7. Thinking with Both Heads

So, this chapter I would like to introduce you to a new character. This character is SO MUCH FREAKING FUN TO WRITE and therefore my favorite. I hope you like this character, too *grin*

As usual, thanks to SBA and AS08, you guys are the peanut butter in my Reece cup! (I honestly try to think outside the food analogies, but I guess I am just hungry—all the time…)

SM owns the characters. I own the new one. {insert copyright symbol here} lol

**Thinking with Both Heads  
**

EPOV

I was nervous during the entire drive to my house. I wasn't sure if I would be able to behave myself. I shouldn't have teased her so much all night. I shouldn't have given her that orgasm in the hall. _Fuck, but if that wasn't the sexiest thing I have ever seen in my life! I __had__ always wanted to watch a woman bring herself to orgasm. No woman I had__ ever__ been with — not that there __had__ been many — __had been__ comfortable enough to masturbate in front of me. Isabella didn't exactly bring _herself_ to orgasm, but it was still her fingers against her that caused it. Yes, I was manipulating them, but it was a glorious sight and __one that__ I am sure I will watch a__nd__ replay many times in my shower._

We pulled up to my house and Isabella commented on how cute it was. I should have probably told her that a guy doesn't want to hear that anything belonging to him is _cute_, but oh well.

As she walked around and looked at the pictures, she stopped in front of one and cocked her head and she asked if this was my dad or mom's mother.

This was a perfect opening for telling my parents' love story. I had always loved the story of how my parents met. I know guys shouldn't be so sappy, but my parents' courtship was one of the most endearing stories one could ever hear, at least to me. Not to mention I was always proud to tell people about their Nobel Prize nomination.

She laughed and made some comment about paying toll to be in my presence. I jokingly told her I knew of a way she could pay toll.

I had started to nibble and lick at her neck. I was anxious to touch her, but I was also afraid to move too quickly. I tested her by barely touching her soft skin just above her waistband. She didn't even flinch, so I moved a bit higher, still making sure she was okay with it. Apparently she was, because she scooted down forcing my hand higher. This gave me the courage to tease her and take control. I pulled my hand out.

She started to say something, obviously to complain about the removal of my hand. I kissed her making it impossible for her to protest. _I can play too._ She moaned and tried to straddle me, but I needed to be in control. I leaned back against the arm rest of the couch and flipped her so that her back was against my chest. I grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands up to wrap around my neck. I told her to keep her hands still or I would stop what I was doing to her. _Please don't move__.__ I don't think __there is any way__ I can stop once I start touching you._

She only nodded her head. I couldn't help but wonder if she was having as hard of a time with coherency as I was.

I asked her if she wanted to cum and she emphatically replied affirmatively.

_Good, that is what I was hoping__ for__. I want __to hear__ you scream my name!_

I wanted to feel every inch of her skin, but taking it slow was going to be extremely difficult. I grabbed the hem of her shirt and began to raise it slowly, never removing my fingers from her skin. As I passed over her perfect breasts, I felt her hardened nipples. I caught my breath. "Isabella, I can't wait to taste those luscious tits. Do you want my tongue on your nipples?"

She nodded quickly. I pulled her shirt off and threw it behind my head. I slowly traced my fingers all over her body.

She whined. "Unh uh, Isabella. No whining. Just feel. Feel what I can do to you." _Please let me show you how good I can make you feel._

I slid her bra straps down and kissed her shoulder. I removed her breasts from her bra and began to caress them. She let out an erotic sound that I immediately felt in my groin. I pinched both erect nipples and she squeaked. This woman was too cute for her own good. I sucked below her ear and she arched her back grinding into my already too hard erection. I grabbed her waist to stop her, "I told you no movements, did you not listen?" _I __don't__ know how much more of this I __can__ handle before I __throw__ her over my shoulder and __carry__ her off to my bedroom to have my way with her._

She started panting. "Edward! I can't…it's too hard…it feels too good. Please. I'm sorry." _Shit! Not begging! I already __was ready__ to do anything she __asked__ of me, but begging? Fuck! I would sell my soul for her if she begged me to._

I explained how hard it was for me to control myself to keep from bending her over the couch and fucking her hard and fast. I told her I didn't want to do that, but that was a lie. I very much wanted to do that, but I didn't want to give in to my wants.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I will try harder. You are in control." _Shitfucksonofabitch! I want__ed__ to hear that come out of her mouth again! Fucking hell!_

"You're right. I am in control." _Another bold face lie. She __was__ the one in control, I just __couldn't __ let her know __that__. _"You cum when I decide you cum. You don't like not being in control, do you Isabella? Let go of your control and I promise you the payoff will be worth it."

I continued to stroke her left breast, but started to move my right hand toward the Holy Land. I slipped two fingers under her waistband and grazed—_HOLY FUCKING SHIT! It's bare! Fanfuckingtastically bare. Mother of God, I __needed__ to taste __that__!_

She yelped. _Fuck! I bit her! Like a fucking dog, I bit her!_

"Shit! I'm sorry." I started kissing her neck, where I had just bitten her.

"Edward. Do it again." _What the fuck? I know she __didn't__ want me to bite her again__, did she__? _

"…do what?"

"Bite me, Edward! Please!"

"Fu-uck" _I __was__ in love! Yes, I __was__ going to spend the rest of my days making this exceptional being beg me to bite her because that __was__ fucking H-O-T!_

I bit her again. She pressed into my cock again.

Before I even knew what I was doing, I had her pinned on her back. I started tasting her everywhere — and I do mean everywhere. I was touching her and kissing her every single place I could reach. I started getting frantic, feeling like I couldn't get enough. _What the fuck, Cullen? Do you think she appreciates being manhandled? SLOW DOWN!_

I raised up on my knees and took several deep breaths to calm myself. Then I lowered myself to kiss her forehead. I kissed lightly down her cheek, her jaw, over to her ear. I sucked on her earlobe and blew it after releasing it. I kissed down her shoulder, down her arm, to her wrist. I picked up her hand and sucked on the tip of each digit.

_Yes, this __is__ good. Nice and slow. But there'__s__ a place I need to be right now. It's calling to me like the Sirens called to Odysseus._

I gently removed her pants. As I passed her mound with my face, I leaned down and kissed her cute little lacey pink panties. She gasped, causing me to moan. _Just wait, Isabella. There will be much more of that in a few minutes._

Once her pants were completely removed, I traced my hands back up her legs slowly, making sure to touch every inch of skin I could in the process. When I reached her thighs I spread my fingers wide and ascended higher and brushed up against her sex.

"Edward, please! I need you."

_Oh God, I need you, too! So fucking much right now! I want to thrust my cock into your pussy so bad right now. No, no! Focus. Must. Taste. First. Shit, I have reverted to caveman talk._

"In due time, sweetheart, all in due time. Let me worship you just a bit longer."

I pulled down her panties to reveal what will now be known as Edward's Holy Grail because fuck me, that was the most glorious thing I have ever seen and I definitely would travel to the ends of the earth to reach it!

I probably resembled a fish out of water at that moment because she was just looking at me like I was slobbering — which I actually might have been at that point, who knows?

I told her how absolutely perfect she was and I lowered my lips, lightly kissing and letting out a gust of air. I was trying to pace myself. This was something I had fantasized about my entire adult life and I wanted to savor it. I moved my tongue minutely, just barely separating her lips and she bucked her hips toward me, causing me to plunge my tongue fully. She cried out, "Edward! Yes!"

_Fuckety fuckety fuck fuck! Forget pacing myself! All systems are go! _

"Fuck, you taste amazing!" I commenced burying my face in her sweet pussy. I was moving my tongue in every direction. I didn't want to miss one drop of her sublime juice. I licked every inch of her, paying extra attention to her clit and causing her to moan and lift her hips repeatedly. I could tell she was close, so I inserted two fingers and curled them and started pumping while still exploring with my tongue.

"Shit! Fuck! Son of a—! Edward I'm—ugh!" She screamed and convulsed under me, but I continued to lick and suck so as to not miss a single drop of Isabella.

She was lying there, still unable to speak or move, when I got a crazy idea. I glanced up at her and started grinning like a fool. I inched my way slowly up her body.

She looked at me oddly and said, "What?"

Once I had reached her face, I licked her jaw from her earlobe to her chin and then raised up and kissed her mouth. I forced her mouth open with my tongue — she didn't resist — and started massaging her tongue. I moved back and forth, front to back and finally pulling out, "Do you like how you taste as much as I do, Isabella?"

Ok, I thought that was sexy. I am a man. Our brains don't work like women's brains — obviously. I was expecting her to respond in a positive way. But then again, how was I supposed to know if she _would _like it… I had only known her for a few hours. _Cullen you are __such__ a fucking moron! _

I looked at her face and immediately realized how much of an imbecile I was. She had a look of sheer terror. I grabbed her face with both hands, "I am so sorry! I am a fucking idiot! I shouldn't have forced my tongue in your mouth." I was so embarrassed. I had just given her one of the best orgasms of her life, _hopefully, _and then ruined it by being an inconsiderate asshole! I leaned my forehead against hers and just sat there too mortified to say anything else.

She grinned at me. "You don't need to be sorry. That tongue…ugh, that tongue is amazing! I don't care what you do with it, just as long as I get to feel it again and again!" Oh my God….I was speechless.

_Again and again? __Does t__hat mean she plans on repeat performances? Maybe I didn't screw it up after all._

I smirked at her and leaned down to whisper in her ear. I had to let her know how fucking amazing it was for me. "I have dreamt for years of eating a bare pussy and you gave me that pleasure tonight! It was the most magnificent thing I have ever done. It will supply me with many, many nights of self-love, I can promise you that." I kissed her and sat back up.

She shot across the room like a rocket, scaring me almost to death. I started wondering if maybe admitting I was going to whack off to her image had grossed her out. She grabbed her bag and raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, kissing chaps my lips; I have to coat them right away." _Right… and I'm Hugh Jackman…_

Out of the blue she started giggling. I was getting so confused by that tiny woman.

She came back to the sofa and pushed my shoulders down so that I was lying on the couch. I couldn't figure out why she was running around stark naked in my house… and why did she push me down on the couch… and why was she now straddling me… and why was she trying to remove my shirt? Well, I mean, I had one idea…

"Isabella, I—"

"Remember what you said to me? 'Just feel'? Lay back and relax, Gigi." _Gigi? What the fuck? Who the fuck is Gigi? _Her eyes nearly popped out of her head and she slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Crap, Edward, I am sorry! I didn't mean to call you that."

I tried to take a deep breath and calm myself down before I spoke. How could I have been so stupid? "Can you at least tell me _why _you called me another name? Are you… in a relationship?"

_Gigi is a girl's name. Is she a lesbian? Please say yes, please tell me you will invite her over too. Cool it Cullen__ that's__ a perverted thing to be thinking in this situation… but who the fuck cares? Two hot women together in my house? Shit! No, I really want to make things work with her, adding a third person would not be a good thing, you idiot! I really need to see a doctor about__ this__ self-dialogue problem __I seem to be developing__._

She brought me out of my stupor by laughing. I was not amused, but she was still laughing. I tried hard not to, but I couldn't help getting agitated with her.

She started to blush. _Shit, she really is in a relationship. She is embarrassed __that she just got caught._

"Well, when I first met you, I didn't have your chart and the most noticeable thing about you was your eyes…" _OK… and?_

"Ok, but that doesn't explain Gigi. Gigi is a woman's name. Did my eyes remind you of a woman? Help me out, here, because I am confused."

"Gorgeous Greeneyes… GG for short, not Gigi, silly" she huffed.

_Gorgeous? __Did s__he just call me gorgeous? She__ had a nickname for me based on__ gorgeousness! Big head much, Cullen?_

"Gorgeous, huh? Do you really think I am gorgeous?"

"Hate to burst your bubble, there Don Juan, but I called your eyes gorgeous, not you." Then she smiled a devilish smile.

I grabbed my heart feigning hurt.

"Ok, _Gigi,_ can we get back to business, now?" she said as she started lifting my shirt. _Well, if I am going to hell…_

Every time I tried to touch her she swatted my hands away. I couldn't understand why I couldn't touch her. Then she grabbed my wrists and put them above my head just like I had done to hers and gave me a look letting me there would be consequences if I moved my hands. I had thought I loved hearing her tell me I was in control, but that was _nothing _compared to her controlling _me!_ _Hot damn! Fucking control me all you want!_

I grinned, "Yes, Ma'am!" and wiggled my eyebrows. She unbuttoned my jeans and started to pull them down. I moved slightly to allow her access to pull them off. I think I was still grinning like the Joker when she grabbed my boxers and started to remove them. I grabbed her wrists. She gave me the evil eye, but I still held her hands.

"If we are both naked on this couch, it is only going to end one way, and one way only." My brain and dick were warring with each other at this very moment. My brain was saying, _Stick to the plan__,__ this__ is a bad, bad thing, keep your britches on!_ My dick, on the other hand, was saying, _Screw you fuckwad! I want pussy! It is RIGHT THERE! I can smell it! _I was just stuck in the middle of this battle not knowing which side I should take.

"Edward. I thought I warned you about moving your hands!" She twisted her wrists to grab mine, but I held on harder. Meanwhile my dick was shouting _Pussy! Pussy! Here I come!_

"I am not kidding. Leave. The. Pants. On." _Wow, brain actually won for a minute there. Then brain looked up at Isabella's face._ She looked like I just told her she wasn't good enough for me. Dick said _See? Should have listened to me. Pussy wants me. You screwed up, asshole!_

She tried to get up from my lap. I held onto her wrists. "Hey, look at me." She closed her eyes. "Isabella, please, please look at me." I was begging her.

Barely above a whisper she said, "I can't"

I let go of her wrists, but grabbed her face. "Isabella, what's wrong? Why can't you look at me? Please tell me." _Please don't let it be what I think it is._

"You don't want me." _Fuck! She was crying. Fix this, Cullen!_

I sat abruptly, with her still in my lap. I pulled her so close, so tight it's a wonder she could still breathe.

I told her how very much I wanted her right then and there, but I was trying to be a gentleman.

"Then why won't you be with me?"

I chuckled and told her that I had wanted to take things slowly, do things differently than I had in the past.

She told me it was a sweet gesture but that she had never been attracted to a man like this before. She began pulling my hand toward her pussy, but I tried to pull away. Dick started yelling _Yes! Yes! Wet pussy! Stick me in it! _I began to wonder how to shut Dick up because he was driving me batty.

She gave me a dirty look and grabbed harder, pulling my hand to her wet, hot center. _Guh! _And yes, Dick was rejoicing. _What was the plan again? What plan?_

"God! You are so wet! How can you be so wet again?" Oops, brain filter was off. I inadvertently stuck my fingers in my mouth, and sucked off every drop of liquid from each one. Her mouth dropped open and I thought I had crossed the line again until I noticed her eyes were filled with lust. I quirked an eyebrow.

She cleared her throat, "See? I have been like that every second with you. I have never experienced anything like this before."

She pushed my shoulders back and said the most tantalizing thing I would have ever imagined could come out of her mouth. "I need you inside me. I need your cock inside my pussy or I am going to spontaneously combust!"

_Holy fucking hell! _Dick was incoherent, thank God. I think I was growling.

Isabella leaned forward and licked my earlobe. I tried to grab her wrists. "No, no, remember, hands go up there." She pointed over my head. "Now, we can do this the hard way or we can do this the easy way. You can fight me or you can relax, but either way, I will have you in me tonight! I promise you!" The closer we got to the Promised Land, the more garbled Dick's words became. I think he said something like _Take the easy way, fucker, or I'll embarrass you and jizz before you even touch her!_

She was still talking. She said something about the easy way will let me cum faster and twice as hard. I completely lost coherency at that point. I just lay there like a dumbfuck and let her and Dick control the situation.

Magically, my boxers were no longer on my body and I felt her tongue touch the head of my dick.

"Shit! Isabella, please, just come up here. I don't want to fuck your mouth. I told you I want to worship you tonight." As I tried to pull her up by her shoulders Dick was shouting profanities at me.

She looked up at me, "Hands up, mouth shut. I let you have control earlier, it is my turn. Agreed?" Dick was laughing at me now.

I leaned my head back and mumbled, "If you insist…but I still don't like it." No reason to tell her how very much Dick really _did_ like it. Especially since she might have me committed if she finds out my dick was talking to me.

It sounded like she said, "But you will" and I popped my head up and just stared at her. She smirked at me and pushed my shoulders down. I closed my eyes. If I saw what she was doing to me, this would be over as quickly as it began.

"Edward…" Must. Not. Look.

"Edward…" Keep. Eyes. Closed.

"Edward!" She shouted and I raised my head to explain my predicament but she spoke first. "I want you to watch your cock go in my mouth." _Fuckfuckfuckfuck!_

She lowered her mouth and licked before sucking me completely into her mouth. Dick had died and gone to heaven.

"Son of a—! Fuuuuck, shitfuck!" _Did I say that out loud?_

I tried not to think of how Isabella had learned to be an expert at cocksucking because now was not the time to think of her mouth around someone else's dick. Then again, maybe if I thought of that, I wouldn't embarrass myself and cum faster than you could say premature ejaculation.

I managed to hold back while she licked and sucked like a pro. Then she squeezed my balls and I almost lost it right there. She could tell I was close and she released me. "I am sorry, Edward, I can't let you cum yet, I have better plans for you tonight." _Better plans? Oh my…_

I heard what sounded like a condom wrapper being opened. What happened next was something I would have never expected, ever, to happen. Isabella used her mouth to slowly unroll the condom over my cock.

I shot upright, grabbed her shoulders and looked at her with wide eyes, "HOLY FUCK, Isabella, where the hell did you learn that? That was the hottest thing I have ever seen! Shit!" _Did I really want to know where she learned it, though? I hope__d__ to God it was from a magazine or website, not another man… __a man can hope, right?_

"I thought you might like that. And just so you know, no one taught me! It took lots and lots of practice on many mutilated bananas to perfect that. I couldn't wait to find someone I actually wanted to use it on! So you liked it, huh?"

_Liked it? That was an understatement!_

"As long as I shall live, nothing will ever top that as the most erotic thing that has ever happened to me."

She grinned, "Well, I will have to make sure I change that, then, won't I?" Dick started jumping for joy, while my jaw hit the floor.

I grabbed her by the hips and pulled her towards me, but stopped and looked her in the eye. I had to be sure she was really ready for this. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

She smiled, "I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life."

I started to pull her onto me and then realized I didn't want to do this on a couch like a casual un-meaning hookup, I wanted to take her to my bedroom and do it right. "Wait!"

I stood up and she started giggling, which made me remember I had a pink cock standing at attention in front of her. Yeah, it was pretty funny, but I couldn't let her get away with making fun of my manhood! I looked at her disapprovingly, "I was going to suggest we go to the bed where it is much more comfortable, but if you would rather sit here and make fun of my pink-tinted penis, I am sure we could arrange that instead." I almost smiled, because I am sorry, but a pink penis was pretty fucking hilarious.

Little Miss Smarty Pants said, "Fine! Let's go to the bedroom, but walk slowly so I can watch Eddie Munster waving as he goes!"

I grabbed her by the waist and flung her over my shoulder and slapped her ass all the way to the bedroom.

"Edward! Stop slapping the same place twice! It stings, jerkface!" I could hear the teasing tone in her voice, so I knew she wasn't seriously mad.

I threw her on the bed and started stalking toward her. "Is it customary to call someone jerkface who gave you two of the best orgasms of your life on the very same night?"

She mumbled, "Who said they were the best? Conceited much?"

_Nice going, shithead! _

She grinned, letting me know that they were, in fact, pretty damn good. "Just don't go getting a big head about it. For all you know I have never had an orgasm and there is none to compare it to, obviously making those the best!"

_I highly doubt __that __she__ had__ never had an orgasm. If so, that __was__ just sad._

She laughed and flipped me over and straddled me. "I sure the fuck hope I am not a 24-year-old who has never entered into the O-lympics! Granted, most of them have been fingergasms, because few guys take the time out to, as you say, '_worship_' a woman. But I am hoping to raise my tally of cockgasms with this right here," she said, while quickly grabbing my dick and sliding down on it. I whimpered like a fucking puppy. _God it has been too long. She feels fucking fantastic! I am not going to be able to last at all._

She started moving up and down and I have no clue what my face was doing. I was trying to concentrate on not busting a nut instantaneously, but it felt so fucking good. She started rocking with more force.

I grabbed her hips, "Isabella, it's been a long time for me. I might not last if you go that fast. You feel so damn tight and perfect around me that I can hardly hold back."

With that, she leaned down, licked my lower lip, sucked it into her mouth and bit it!

"Ungh! Shit, Isabella—"

She rocked harder and faster and whispered, "Edward, let go, cum into my wet, hot pussy right now!"

_! _Dick and I both started convulsing in complete ecstasy. Dick was singing some celebratory song while I tried to remember how to speak.

I pulled Isabella down, kissed her chin, her jaw, her neck, her lips while I rubbed circles on her back. "Why did you do that, Isabella? I didn't want to cum without you."

"You gave me two of the most remarkable orgasms already, it was the least I could do." She smiled bashfully. "Can I ask you a question?"

I should have known. I made the mistake of telling her it had been a long time.

I nodded.

"How long has it been, exactly?"

If I was going to answer this humiliating question, I wanted to get something in return.

I grinned, "If I answer this question for you, can I ask one in return?" I raised her off me and grabbed a Kleenex to dispose of the girly pink condom.

"It's only fair." She said.

"Ok, then. It has been eighteen months." I hung my head in embarrassment.

"Eighteen months? Edward! How can you go that long? And, why?"

"That's two more questions, are you willing to answer two more?"

"Eh…uh…we will come back to those questions. Tell me your first question and let's see how difficult it is." She started to blush. She wouldn't even look me in the eye. She must have been afraid I was going to ask a personal question. I decided to take it easy on her… for now.

I grinned, "Do your parents live nearby?"

She went on to tell me about her father living north in Forks. He is a police chief. I made a mental note to not do anything to get on his bad side. She told me about her mom living in Phoenix with a younger man and Isabella's little sister.

I found out she sees her dad often, but not her mom and she prefers it that way because she has a difficult relationship with her mom. She made a joke about her mom cooking and burning down the house. She suddenly looked at me like it was uncouth to joke about fires with a fireman.

I grinned, "You know, I think it was fate that you ended up meeting a firefighter if your mom likes to burn down houses."

She slapped my shoulder and asked if I would answer one of her questions now.

I looked at the ceiling, gathering my thoughts.

I commenced telling her about the reason for my celibacy.

"Wow. Okay, that makes more sense now." This girl just continued to amaze me.

I then asked her if she had ever been in a relationship before.

She took a deep breath and blew it out. She told me about her relationship with a Jake straight out of high school and how she thought they were going to be together forever and how she caught him cheating on her. This made me furious. How could someone betray her in the worst of ways like that? I couldn't imagine anyone feeling the need for another woman when they had this goddess in their life.

I rubbed her back, "I am so sorry, Isabella. Jake obviously didn't know how to appreciate what he had. How did you find out what had been going on if you never confronted him?"

She explained how her dad heard from rumors spread around Forks.

Evidently ready to change the subject, she grinned at me and said, "Enough talk about failed relationships, tell me, Edward, how does one manage to go eighteen months without a release?"

I rolled my eyes. I am a guy. Surely she didn't think that I didn't slap the monkey. "Whoever said I had no release? It was just never a satisfactory release." I started to grin, but yawned instead.

"So, would you grant me the privilege of sleeping next to a beautiful woman tonight?"

"I would love to sleep next to you, Gigi," she giggled.

_Fucking Gigi!_ I pinched her hip, "Hey! Enough of the girly names, you are giving me a complex!" I pulled the sheet up and moved her until we were facing the same direction and buried my face in her neck. "I have really enjoyed tonight. If I died right now, I would die a happy man. Thank you." I kissed her neck and laid my head down on the pillow.

She sighed contentedly and pulled my arms tighter around her tiny waist. "The feeling is mutual, no thanks are necessary." Within minutes her breathing had evened out and she was asleep.

I wanted to stay awake all night and enjoy the feeling of being wrapped around a warm body, but it was so damn comfortable that I just fell into sleep right after her.

**A/N**

**Ok, so readers, meet Dick; Dick, meet readers. Dick makes me laugh. I really enjoy telling about his shenanigans, though he annoys Edward. I offered to take Dick off of his hands and let him come stay with me, but he just rolled his eyes at me.**

**Anyway, we get to hear a lot more from Dick later.  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello my lovely readers! So far everyone loved Dick, which makes me happy because he is my favorite character to write. We will hear more from him, but not today, sorry :(**

**As usual, I would like to thank SBA and AS08 for being the batteries in my…no, that's disturbing…**

**Analogies not pertaining to food allude me today (and every day so far…) so just "Thank you" for making my story worth reading!! *wink, wink, grin, grin***

**I would like to thank FrenchBeans and Alitriona for helping me create a sexy voice for Edward!**

**And now….the morning after!**

BPOV

I was awakened by the most amazing tongue plunging inside of me. "Oh God! Oh God! YES!" I reached down, and grabbed a handful of his beautiful hair and bucked my hips. His tongue slid out and massaged circles around my clit, before flattening against me. "Fuuuuuuuuck! Oh my God, Edward!" I screamed. He kept licking and sucking until I reached my climax and continued softly until I came back down.

He licked his lips, "Isabella, I could wake up to that every day for the rest of my life." He crawled up my body and kissed my neck, then flopped down on his side and smiled at me.

Once I caught my breath, I smiled, licked my lips and reached down to grab his enormously hard cock and started to stroke him. I sat up on my knees and pushed him to his back. I quickly took him in my mouth and was rewarded with a long moan. I twisted from side to side and twirled my tongue, caressing every inch of his remarkable dick for several minutes. I then pressed hard on the underside of his shaft with my tongue and lightly grazed him with my teeth.

"Shit, Isabella, you are amazing with that mouth! Fuck, yes, oh my God, I'm gonna—" He grabbed my face and tried to pull me off of him, but I sucked harder and faster as he bucked into my mouth and groaned out my name while releasing into my throat. I licked and sucked him clean and slowly pulled away from him, licking my lips. He was still panting and said, "God, woman, what am I going to do with you?! That was fantastic!"

I grinned and glanced over at his alarm clock. "HOLY SHIT!! Is it really 11:30?"

"I'm sorry, Isabella, did you need up before now? I never thought that you might need to be somewhere."

"No, no, it's not that. That is the first time in six months that I have slept more than three hours! Can I keep you?" I giggled.

Edward sat up and grabbed my face, "You can do whatever you want with me, Isabella." He then kissed me passionately.

A few minutes later, my stomach growled and he chuckled. "How about you go grab a shower and I will make you breakfast?"

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Edward."

* * *

I could smell bacon coming from the kitchen. I grabbed a T-shirt of Edward's out of his dresser and followed the smell with my mouth watering.

I stepped into the kitchen to see Edward in just a pair of pajama pants standing at the stove, with his back to me. _God, that man is gorgeous! I'm filing that image away for later. _I heard my cell alerting me that I had a text message. I reached into my messenger bag and retrieved my phone, opening it to see I had three texts from Alice and one from Rose.

**B-**

**Where the fuck are you? No one has seen you since last night.**

**-R**

**B-**

**You better be dead cause there is no other excuse good enough to not let your BFFs know where you are!**

**-A**

Leave it to Alice to suggest it is better to be dead than not check in to your friends.

**B-**

**I mean it, skank! You are in trouble when I find you. This isn't funny! I am worried.**

**P.S. I found my husband!!**

**-A**

**B-**

**Son of a bizzle! That's it! I am taking you off my will!**

**-A**

I quickly texted Alice back.

**A-**

**Sorry I was MIA. I spent the most amazing night with a gorgeous man that I can't wait for you to meet. I saw your 'husband' attached to you last night—way to go! Does he know the plans you have for him? *grin* I will be home soon and we can exchange stories! Luv ya, chicka!**

**-B**

I felt two arms slowly wrap around my waist and lips kiss my neck. "Making plans with another man, are you?"

"Hmm, I was just telling my roommate what an awful time I had last night." I grinned while reaching up to run my fingers in his hair.

"Breakfast is finished, are you ready to eat?"

"Absolutely!"

We walked into the kitchen and saw that Edward had made a very elaborate breakfast. "Wow! Handsome, funny, remarkable tongue, _and _you can cook?? I _really _wanna keep you now!"

Edward glanced up, blushing, "Remarkable tongue? I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or be upset that it is the only thing that stood out from last night…" He grinned slyly.

"Are you trying to get me to applaud your performance?" I teased.

"Well…a guy can get a bruised ego if a woman doesn't make _some_ sort of comment about his performance…" He pretended to pout.

"I'm sorry, but I can't just go throwing out compliments after only one sample. You know, I have to make sure it wasn't a one-time thing…you know, like a one-hit wonder or…"

I didn't even get to finish that statement before Edward had pinned me against the counter. "Oh, I can assure you it wasn't a one-time thing. I'm no Alien Ant Farm, either. Would you like for me to prove it?" Edward's fingers had already gathered the hem of my…er his T-shirt.

"I…uh…really…um…Edward!" His fingers were just about to come in contact with the Holy Land when I came to my senses. I pushed him back reluctantly. "I'm sorry Edward, but I really have to be heading home. I would love to take you up on your offer, honestly, but we just can't right now. I'm sorry."

Edward groaned, but released me. He had a wicked grin on his face. "But you still promise we can pick up where we left off another time, right?"

"Well, as long as I don't get a better offer in the meantime." I ducked away from his reach and giggled.

When I turned around he had a murderous glare on his face. "You better not take up _any _offers other than mine! I will bring you back here and tie you up and have my way with you for days on end to wipe your mind of any other man besides me!" There was a smirk in Edward's eyes, but he continued to try to look serious.

"In that case, maybe I _will _find another offer…just for the punishment that will follow. …" I picked up a plate of food and sat at the table and began to eat.

"Woman! You are going to be the death of me." Edward grabbed a plate and sat down opposite me and began to eat.

We playfully talked during breakfast with a few sexual comments thrown in here and there. All too soon we were scraping our plates and rinsing our dishes. I sighed and told Edward I really didn't want to leave, but I had to.

Edward grabbed my cell phone and started punching buttons. He grinned and handed me my phone back.

His phone started ringing from the living room. "I put my number in your phone—in case you lost my card—and then called myself to save your number in mine. I am going to call you tonight to find out when we can continue our escapade." I am not sure why, but he had a very mischievous look in his eyes.

I quickly changed clothes, grabbed my things and began to walk out, when he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me backwards into his chest.

"I am not ready to let you go. I know I have to, but God, I wish I didn't." He kissed my neck lightly. "I will talk to you tonight, but I will be thinking about you all day." _Why oh why did I promise the girls lunch today?_

"I can't wait." I smiled and turned my head to kiss him gently.

I left his house wishing the whole time I could stay. I had never felt this way before. I couldn't explain it. There was some sort of pull that I had to him. I didn't want to be apart from him already, and that was only after one night! It was almost like I had left part of myself behind with him. I shook my head to get rid of those ridiculous thoughts.

* * *

I pulled up to our house and dreaded going in. I knew I was going to be ambushed by two crazed lunatics.

No sooner than I had opened the door, Alice was in front of me, "WHAT THE HELL? Don't you ever do that to me again! Do you not care about our relationship at all? I thought you were dead. I thought you were kidnapped! I was going to call the morgue, or the police station or—"

"Alice! Calm down! I'm sorry I didn't call you, but honestly I was a bit…er…distracted. Besides, the last time I saw you your mouth was preoccupied and I doubt calling you would have accomplished anything."

"Oh Bella! I've met my husband! His name is Jasper Whitlock. I have waited my whole life for him! Come here, look!" In the living room was every wedding magazine you could imagine. There were sticky notes on page after page of pictures of dresses and décor. There were markers, highlighters, scissors, and construction paper everywhere.

Rose was sitting in the recliner looking bored, filing her nails.

I looked around, "What is this Alice?" My arms were wide apart, palms up indicating the mess in the whole room.

"Wedding plans, silly. See here? This is my dress! But, I am going to have it altered. The sleeves will be more ruffled and the bodice will be a tighter fit. The skirt will be longer with a beautiful train…"

Alice was still rambling, but I wasn't paying attention. I was still completely in shock that she was planning her wedding! I was only gone one night!

"Alice, Alice! What the hell are you talking about? Did he propose to you or something?"

"Not yet, but he will….I think around Thanksgiving. We are going to get married June 20th on the beach." I just stared at this strange little midget in front of me.

"So, I take it…Jasper…doesn't know he is proposing to you? How do you know he is going to you crazy little freak?"

"How many times have I told you I just know these things?" She tapped her temple with her forefinger.

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever."

Rose snorted. "Accept it, Bella. If you don't we will be here all day and never get to eat!"

Alice huffed, "I don't know why you guys never believe me. I have proven myself time and time again."

"Come on, Pee-Wee, let's go make lunch. You can fill me in on your wedding after I fill your stomach." I didn't need to tell them I had just eaten breakfast. I could make it look like I was eating lunch with them and they would be none the wiser.

* * *

Alice and I finished making the BLTs and plated them before sitting at the dining room table. Rose joined us saying, "BLTs! My favorite! Thanks guys!"

"So, Miss Bella. I have been patient enough. Tell me what happened with you last night?" Alice started with a look of excitement. "Is our vow of abstinence over now?"

"I can tell you that I am no longer in danger of carpal tunnel." I smirked down at Alice, so incredibly proud of myself that I was able to avoid blushing.

Alice squealed a squeal so high-pitched that I just knew could drive the neighborhood dogs to insanity. "Bella! Who is he? Do we know him? Are you going out again? What's he like?"

"I met him last night; he came in with Jazz and Em…Rose! I almost forgot! You have some explaining to do, lady! Out with it!"

Alice looked at me puzzled. "Rose? What does she have to do with it? You guys weren't fighting over him, were you? Oh my god, you didn't have a threesome, did you? Ewww!"

"Alice, get a clue! Like we would share! And no, we didn't fight over him. I haven't even seen this mystery man she is talking about." She stood up to scrape her plate obviously trying to avoid this discussion.

"Rose, you aren't getting out of this conversation. Emmett talked to me. He claims he is madly in love with you. You, young lady, need to explain." I gave her a look letting her know I wouldn't quit until she came clean.

"Emmett madly in love? What a crock! That man only thinks with his dick. He is such an ass! He was rude and disrespectful. If I ever see him again, I _will_ break his nose to match his lip!"

"Funny, 'cause I was told that before you busted his lip you were locked to it for a good five minutes. The Rose I know doesn't kiss a guy unless she is _very_ interested."

Alice was literally bouncing in her seat. I could tell she was just waiting for a split second of silence so she could begin her interrogations.

"The Rose you know also doesn't kiss and tell."

"You lying whornado! You have told us every disgusting detail of each and every one of your past rendezvous. Don't you jip us now! I want to hear about you and Mr. Dimples!"

"Mr. Dimples?" Alice chimed in. "Come on, Rose, you can't do this to me! My heart can't take this suspense, you know me. I get heart palpitations when I don't get information!" I laughed at Alice trying to get sympathy deceitfully.

"Fine, fine. It must be this stupid vow of celibacy we have taken. He was just so fucking cute. Too cute for his own good! Key word—WAS. He let his true colors show after we swapped spit. I hope he develops testicular cancer, it would serve him right!"

"ROSE!" Alice and I both screamed at her.

"Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh, but man, he infuriates me."

"More like infatuates you." I mumble.

Alice giggled and Rose gave me the evil eye. "It doesn't matter. Water under the bridge. I think we were discussing _your _Prince Charming, Belladonna. Time for _you _to spill sweetheart."

"After I looked over _your _Prince Charming outside the ER, Rose, I came in contact with the most mesmerizing pair of emerald eyes I had ever seen. Abso-freaking-lutely gorgeous! And boy, was he a smooth talker. He was so romantic. The whole time I was examining him he was flirting with me and complimenting me. Oh and he refuses to call me Bella! He said it had lost its meaning because I had been called it too much and he likes the name Isabella, he thinks it is seductive! Oh my God, he just had such a way with words! He gave me his card—he is the Fire Chief!!—and begged me to call him later. His name is Edward"

"Wow! Fire Chief? And calling you Isabella, isn't that so sweet?" Alice spoke with reverence.

"Then a certain rugrat caused a scene in the waiting room and Angela had me come to try to break up Mr. and Mrs. Suckface, which caused me to bump into Edward again. Emmett was out of surgery shortly after and Edward convinced me to come in with him. That's how I learned about Rosalie's sucker punch and previous attachment to Em's lips."

Alice whined, "Man, I missed out on everything good last night…but it was worth it." Then she got a faraway look in her eyes and I knew right where her mind went.

I cleared my throat. "Anyway…I had to clock out because Victoria was back, so I headed to the locker room to change." I told them about Edward's encounter with Tanya.

"You're shitting me!!" Rose nearly shouted. "It's about time someone put that skeezer in her place! I bet she was livid! I can't wait to meet this Edward. He sounds like a winner to me."

I couldn't stop the smile that stretched across my face. I didn't realize how much Rose's approval meant to me.

"So, what happened next, come on Izzy, tell us!"

I looked at Alice disapprovingly, "You know I hate that name, Alley cat!"

"Sorry!" Alice grumbled, now equally upset by the use of her hated nickname.

I went on to tell them about the rest of my night…and morning, leaving out some of the details—okay a lot of the details. But they got the gist of it.

"Looks like she's got it bad." Rose sighed.

"What are you talking about? Got what bad?"

Alice snickered. "Yep, definitely can't wait to meet this guy. He has done a number on our dear Bella Lou!"

I threw my arms up in the air. "You guys are crazy. He hasn't done a 'number' on me. He's hot, what do you expect?"

"Isabella Marie Swan! I can see it in your eyes! You, my dear, are twitterpated! Just like Thumper, you can try to hide from it, but it has already happened."

Alice and her Disney analogies…

* * *

All day, I tried not to think about what Alice and Rose had said earlier. Alice had some errands to run and Rose conveniently needed to check on 'Mr. McCarty's' surgical site, so I was left to myself. I kept myself busy cleaning my room, organizing my books and CDs that didn't need organized. I went through my closet—that took forever, thanks to Alice and her everyday shopping trips—and tried to downsize. I had stuff from last year with the tags still on! I couldn't understand Alice's obsession with clothes. If it were up to me, I would just have seven hoodies, seven pairs of skinny jeans, fourteen concert tees and three pair of Chucks. I will admit, however, that I do appreciate me some Vickie lingerie. That is the one thing I would splurge on. My body isn't perfect, but I do look damn good in sexy undies!

Once the girls were back, we ordered in Chinese because we were all preoccupied and we didn't feel like cooking. We chit-chatted a bit over dinner, but nothing too in-depth. I think we all had thoughts bouncing around our heads about the past 24 hours.

We cleaned up our mess in the kitchen and living room. I stretched and yawned, "Well, girls, I'm gonna hit the hay. I'm beat. I got a lot done in my room today, now I just wanna sleep!"

The girls mumbled their agreement and we all headed for our own rooms.

I was almost asleep and heard an all too familiar song playing on my cell phone. Laughing I answered. "The Discovery Channel Song? Really?"

"It's _called _'Bad Touch' Isabella, and I thought it suited us." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I know what it is called, but I like calling it 'The Discovery Channel Song' so leave me alone," I giggled.

"So how was your day after you left me _all alone, all alone…all alone, all alone"_ He was singing Gorillaz 'All Alone' and his voice was just so sexy.

"Edward, you have a beautiful voice. Can I hear you sing something that isn't gangster?" I was chuckling at the mental image of a gangster Edward.

"Actually, there has been a song on my mind ever since you left me this morning. It makes me think about you."

I was glad he couldn't see how bad I was blushing at this point. "Okay…does this mean I can hear it?"

"If you promise not to laugh."

"I would never laugh at you, Edward."

"Well, it's just that the song is a bit more forward than is appropriate at this point in time with us."

"Will you just sing the damn song, Edward?" I said snickering.

Edward took a deep breath. Nothing.

"Edward?"

"Edward?"

"You're giving me stage fright." He mumbled. "I feel like you're expecting some kind of spectacular singing or something."

I softly said, "I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean anything by it. I just want to be serenaded. Please?" I begged him jokingly.

He laughed quietly. "Okay, but I don't know about serenading…"

He started singing Heart's 'Alone' and I nearly melted because I had always loved that song.

"_I hear the ticking of the clock  
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark  
I wonder where you are tonight_

That was _the_ sexiest version of 'Alone' I had ever heard. Edward's voice was gruff and sultry and just…ung, liquid sex. It was like a cross between Jeff Buckley and Jonathan Rhys Meyer.

_'Til now I always got by on my own  
I never really cared until I met you  
And now it chills me to the bone_

Man, I felt like those words were written just for me. They described exactly how I felt all day away from Edward. I just couldn't understand how things had progressed as quickly as they had with us. My mom always told me she believed in 'love at first sight.' And mom experienced it…four times. Yes, she was _that_ lucky. Puh-leeze! If it was really love at first sight, mom needed glasses because that kind of love should be forever. _This, right here, is why I __didn't__ believe in fate, superstitions, __or __soul mates…Thanks mom!_

Shoot! Edward had finished singing and I was off in my own little world and didn't even respond. Now he was sounding nervous.

"Well, most of that song makes me think of you, but don't be scared, I'm not crazy enough to be saying 'I love you' after one night of steaming hot sex." He laughed nervously.

"Good thing, I didn't want to have to take you back to the hospital to be checked for brain damage." I said smiling.

"I'm not opposed to you _taking _me somewhere, but I prefer it not to be the hospital…which brings me to the reason I was calling. When can I see you again?" He sounded like he had lost his puppy.

"Well, tomorrow I have to work a double, so I won't be home until 6:30."

"Hmm, I don't have to go back to the station for three more days, so I am up for anything you are…and I am quite literally _up_ when it comes to you…God that was gay, wasn't it?" He chuckled.

I laughed, "Yes, that was pretty retarded, but it was cute. I enjoy the affect I have on your twig n berries."

"WOAH! Wait a minute. Twig n berries? I'm not _that _small…right? Oh God."

By this time I was laughing the most hideous guffaw-type laugh and I couldn't quit. I couldn't even catch my breath. The whole time Edward was mumbling things like _humiliating _and _inadequate _and _never show my face again_ and this made me laugh even harder until I had tears pouring onto my shirt.

"Please…please…oh my God, shut up for a minute…I…can't…breathe…." I managed to get out through spastic breaths. "Edward, it is a figure of speech. I didn't literally mean it was the size of a twig." This caused me to start laughing again.

"That is a horrible figure of speech, where in the hell did you learn it?"

In between laughs I managed to say, "My mom gave me the sex speech when I was twelve and that was the term she used for a guy and it kinda stuck."

"Tell your mom she can hurt a lot of men's pride with that nickname! So, what does she call a cooter?"

"Cooter? Is that your word for a vagina??" I giggled. "She simply called it a beaver. Most people didn't think anything of it except they don't know the analogy she uses with it. She said that my beaver needs to be picky and not eat just any twig n berries."

Then it was Edward's turn to laugh 'til the point of tears.

"Oh my God, that is priceless! I can't wait to meet your mom. She sounds like a trip."

"She is a teenager trapped in an old woman's body. She has embarrassed me more times than I can count. It would be in your best interest to never meet my mom…actually, you don't want to meet my dad, either. He believes in speaking softly and carrying a big stick…or rifle…or shotgun."

Both of us yawned at the same time and Edward sighed, saying, "I need to let you sleep, Isabella. Can I pick you up at 7:00 tomorrow? I would like to take you to a nice little Italian restaurant for dinner."

"I would love that Edward. I will see you then. Oh and Edward? Your serenade was magnificent!"

"Thank you, Isabella."

"Good night, Edward."

"Isabella?"

"Edward?"

"I will dream of your sweet beaver tonight."

"And I your twig n berries."

* * *

As I drifted off to sleep I couldn't help but be brought back to Rose and Alice's words from this morning. Is it possible that I felt more for him than I was letting myself believe? I had to slow things down. I wouldn't make the mistakes my mom did.

**Guys, I have had a ton of you read and a ton of you add me as your fave author or story or put me on alert and I thank you tremendously for that—you don't even know how much! But my reviews are not showing how much ppl read. That breaks my heart. I need to know if ppl like this story cause otherwise I feel inadequate and want to quit.**

**So please, please review, even if it is just with a smiley face or sad face or angry face, something to help me sleep at night ;)**

**....or I might just make Edward sleep with Tanya next chapter....and make Dick like Tanya better than Bella.....**

***snarky smile***


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, well, well. It appears that my lovely readers do *NOT* want Dick to love Tanya!! LOL! Whodathunk it? Don't worry, I made Tanya a skank because I can't stand her, so he will never ever like her, I promise ;) We past 100 reviews!! Thank you soooooooo much!!!**

**I am going to post another A/N at the bottom, plz read it ;)**

**I want to thank my homegirls SBA and AS08, you are ink in my printer! (YAY!! It isn't a food reference!!!)**

**As usual, SM owns these hotties, I just make them horny and sexy.**

**Oh yeah, I have a few followers that are underage…VERY underage and this hurts my heart. I know I can't do anything about it, but *pointing my finger* you, the 13-yr-old….please, please don't read this…I would die if my 13-yr-old read this.**

**Ok, I did my motherly duty, what else can I say? Lol**

**DICK IS BACK!!!!!!!!**

EPOV

Something was tickling my nose. I reached up to swat it away and realized it was soft, silky hair. That soft, silky hair was attached to a magnificent body that was wrapped around me, sleeping in my bed. What I wouldn't give to wake up this way from now to eternity. I trailed my fingers over her hips, enjoying the sighs of content she released.

Isabella was truly breathtaking. I had a feeling she didn't even have the slightest clue about how perfect she really was. She had curvy hips, succulent breasts, and gorgeous legs. Her long, shiny hair was so amazing it put models to shame. She had thick, beautiful eyelashes that curled around the most alluring chocolate brown eyes. Her skin was smooth and lightly tanned. She had the cutest formation of freckles on her left shoulder blade. It almost resembled a paw print.

As I trailed back up her side, I must have tickled her because she wiggled onto her back. I traced my fingers down the middle of her breasts onto her right side when I noticed something I must have missed last night. She had the tiniest tattoo on her hip. It was a four-leaf clover. It was barely as big as a dime. I would have to remember to ask her what it is represents. I leaned forward and lightly kissed it.

I was still exploring her body when Isabella licked her lips and moaned in her sleep. That moan woke Dick up instantly. He was trying to reach out and touch someone…or rather some_thing_.

I scooted down until I was hovering over her hot and already wet center. _Good morning!_ I dove right in—licking, sucking, and just thoroughly enjoying tasting Isabella. I lowered to her entrance and began pushing my tongue in and out. Isabella started to move, hopefully waking up - because honestly if a woman were to sleep through this, that would be quite the bruise to the ego.

"Oh God! Oh God! YES!" She grabbed a handful of my hair and thrusted her hips upward. I pulled my tongue out and twirled it around her clit and then flattened my tongue when she screamed, "Fuuuuuuuuck! Oh my God, Edward!" I continued to lick and suck until she came down from her climax.

I licked my lips, savoring every drop. "Isabella, I could wake up to that every day for the rest of my life." I crawled up her body and kissed her neck before I laid down on my side and smiled at her. I could enjoy staring at her all day, especially with that post-coital glow she had that just seemed to radiate from her body. Dick, however, was still standing and waving for attention.

Isabella smiled, licked her lips and quickly grabbed my erection and started to stroke. She sat up on her knees and pushed me to my back. Before I could mutter a single word, she had me in her mouth. I moaned eagerly. Dick was doing a victory dance.

If I thought last night was amazing…today was un-freaking-believable! Isabella twisted from side to side, twirled her tongue and just did the most spectacular things to me. She continued for a few minutes, then suddenly pressed her tongue against the underside of my shaft and grazed the top lightly with her teeth, effectively blowing my fucking mind!! Dick did a fist pump because she was effectively blowing his as well…well, not his mind…

"Shit, Isabella, you are amazing with that mouth! Fuck, yes, oh my God, I'm gonna—" I grabbed her face, desperately trying to pull her up so I didn't cum in her mouth, but she started sucking harder and faster, causing me to buck into her and completely blow my load. _So much for not making her drink your baby juice…_

Isabella licked and sucked me clean and as she slowly pulled away. Still panting, I said, "God, woman, what am I going to do with you? That was fantastic!"

She grinned and glanced behind my shoulder. She scared the piss out of me when she screamed, "HOLY SHIT!! Is it really 11:30?"

_Idiot! I bet she had to be at work this morning; I never thought to set the alarm._

"I'm sorry, Isabella, did you need up before now? I never thought that you might need to be somewhere."

"No, no, it's not that. That is the first time in six months that I have slept more than three hours! Can I keep you?" She giggled.

She may have been joking, but it set off of a chain of thoughts in my head. I was already growing attached to her. I couldn't explain it. I didn't understand it. But I fucking loved it! I had never felt this way towards another human being in my entire life, and what that feeling was, I couldn't explain. I didn't want her to leave, I almost felt as if a piece of me would be taken from me if she left. I couldn't believe I had only known this woman for a matter of hours. It seemed to me like it had been years already. I was so comfortable with her. I felt connected to her in such a way that I was already imagining a future with her. _Had my mother been right? _

I sat up, grabbed her face, and with all seriousness said, "You can do whatever you want with me, Isabella." And then I kissed the shit out of her. I mean a full-out, passion-filled, chick-flick kind of kiss. It was kind of like I was trying to make her absorb my feelings through osmosis or something. I think I would have continued in my efforts had I not heard her stomach growl.

I chuckled, "How about you go grab a shower and I will make you breakfast?" Dick heard the word shower and immediately perked up knowing that Isabella would be naked…and wet… and why was I making breakfast again?

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Edward." _Ah, yes, that is why. Anything for her…_

While Isabella was wet…and naked…in my shower…I was standing over the stove trying to stay focused on feeding her and not going to her and ravishing her in my shower…wet…and naked. As you can see, it was quite difficult.

I was just finishing her bacon when I heard the shower shut off. I still had my back to the doorway, making toast, when the hairs on my neck started to prickle as if someone was watching me. I turned around quickly but she wasn't there. Confused for a second, I looked around and I caught a glimpse of her leaning over her messenger bag in the living room. _Fuck me! _She was wearing one of my T-shirts, and only the T-shirt. I was drawn to her, like a hummingbird to nectar, I just couldn't stop myself.

I walked up behind her and could see she was texting someone. I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Making plans with another man, are you?"

"Hmm, I was just telling my roommate what an awful time I had last night." I could see her grinning when she reached up behind her head and ran her fingers in my hair. _Food, Cullen, she needs food!_

"Breakfast is finished, are you ready to eat?"

"Absolutely. Wow! Handsome, funny, remarkable tongue, _and _you can cook?? I _really _wanna keep you now!"

_Wow, did she honestly just say I had a remarkable tongue?_

I felt the heat rush to my face. _Blushing, Cullen? Really?_

"Remarkable tongue? I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or be upset that it is the only thing that stood out from last night…" I looked at her mischievously.

"Are you trying to get me to applaud your performance?"

"Well…a guy can get a bruised ego if a woman doesn't make _some_ sort of comment about his performance…" I puckered out my lower lip for effect.

"I'm sorry, but I can't go throwing out compliments after only one sample. You know, I have to make sure it wasn't a one-time thing…you know, like a one-hit wonder or…"

Before she could even finish that statement I had her pinned against the counter. "Oh, I can assure you it wasn't a one-time thing. I'm no Alien Ant Farm, either. Would you like for me to prove it?" I started to grab the hem of her, well, my T-shirt.

She backed away and told me that she had to leave. I knew she probably had other things to do, but I couldn't help but feel the air go out of my lungs. What was happening to me? _You're becoming an overdramatic idiot, that's what's happening._

I was double checking that I would be getting to see her another time when she giggled and said yes as long as another offer didn't come first. _Oh hell no! I don't think so…_

I tried to look as menacing as I could when she turned around, not sure if it wasn't just coming off as an angry kitten—I've never been able to master the death glare as well as my mother. "You better not take up _any_ offers other than mine! I will bring you back here and tie you up and have my way with you for days on end to wipe your mind of any other man besides me!" _Tying Isabella up sounded amazingly wonderful right about now_…_focus Cullen focus_…..

I don't think I was able to keep up the façade of possessiveness I tried to portray because Isabella responded with, "In that case, maybe I _will_ find another offer…just for the punishment that will follow." _I wanna do bad things with you_… I mentally rolled my eyes at myself for hearing that stupid song again.

After breakfast, we scraped our dishes and Isabella told me she didn't want to leave, but she had to. As much as I hated it, I knew I had to let her go.

I wanted to make sure she had my number and I hers, so I grabbed her cell phone and quickly programmed my number, with a surprise _dirty_ ringtone, and called my cell. I wanted to make sure she took a part of me home. I would be calling her tonight, you could count on that.

She changed her clothes, grabbed her things and started to walk out. I grabbed her waist and pulled her back against my chest.

"I am not ready to let you go. I know I have to, but God, I wish I didn't." I kissed her luscious neck one last time. "I will talk to you tonight, but I will be thinking about you all day."

_Every day…for the rest of my life…_

_Ugh, get a grip, Cullen!_

"I can't wait." She smiled and turned to kiss my lips softly.

I closed the door behind her and leaned against it and sighed. Geez, this was pathetic! I was acting like a love-sick teenager…

_Fuck, I need__ed__ to get out of this house so I__ wouldn't__ spend the whole freaking day moping around._

I decided to go visit Emmett. I called Jazz and he was going to meet me at the hospital in an hour. That gave me plenty of time to clean up and grab a quick shower.

I wiped down the counters and table in the kitchen and started the dishwasher. I then headed to my bedroom to grab my clothes. I saw the shirt Isabella had worn briefly this morning, instinctively picking it up and sniffing it. _Smells amazing, just like her_. I started to take it with me to the bathroom, fully intending on wearing it when I mentally slapped the shit out of myself for being such a fucking girl.

I took a shower, and yes, Dick reminded me what was in this shower merely minutes prior and yes, I in turn stroked him and made him feel somewhat better. _Let's not make a habit of this…_

Who was I kidding? I wasn't even fully dried off before I started imagining Isabella lying across the bed in front of me, causing Dick to flip me off because blood was already rushing to his head again.

After getting dressed, I passed the living room and kitchen heading to the door—both rooms giving me nice little fantasies of Isabella bent over the couch, the dining table, propped on the counter with my face between her thighs… _This was going to be a long fucking day_.

* * *

I knocked on Em's door and he boomed, "Open for business!" How that cretin ever managed to get a date is beyond me. He was so crude and just plain vulgar. But, yeah, he always made me laugh. Gotta love him for that.

"Hey Em, you haven't gotten kicked out for sexual harassment yet?" I tossed him a bag of beef jerky I had picked up for him on the way.

"Nah, they love me here, in fact I think one cute little thing wants me to become a resident or some shit!"

I rolled my eyes, "What about your _angel_, Em, already forgot about her?"

"Hellz no! But just because I am holding out for her doesn't mean I can't admire some of the other specimens."

Until that moment, Emmett hadn't looked at me—too intent on opening his jerky and stuffing his mouth. Finally satisfied with the amount he had gulped without blinking, he looked at me getting ready to say something when suddenly, "HOLY FUCKING SHIT! You son of a…..! I can't believe you Cullen, you fucker! You totally tapped that ass last night! How did you bang her? Tell me you at least got some cowgirl action! Did she slob your knob? Did you go muff diving?"

"Fuck Emmett! Do you always have to say such derogatory things when you talk about women?"

As I finished that sentence, Jasper walked in, without missing a beat, calmly said, "The entry for derogatory in the dictionary has a picture of our comrade, here. It ain't his fault, he's bred that way. So tell me, brother, who's the woman that's got you all fired up this afternoon?" Jasper spoke in such a quiet, drawn out way that he tended to calm everyone down around him. He even managed to cause Emmett to lower his voice about three octaves.

"Eddie here laid pipe with a sexy little piece of ass last night! Look at his face, you can tell he was boinking all night long."

I sighed, shook my head and said, "Emmett, the fact that you are not still a virgin completely baffles me…"

"Shit, Eddie, I had a woman on my bone throne when you were still in diapers!"

"Em, you are only two years older than me, you fucknut, the only woman you could have had was your sister's Barbie doll."

Thank God for Jazz. He interrupted Emmett, "Alright, can we please quit talking about Emmett's sexual relations now, I would like to avoid losing my lunch. That being said, I must say Chief, you are looking mighty cheerful today. That woman did a number on you, did she?" He smiled a lazy smile and sat on the recliner with his arms crossed behind his head.

"That's what happens when you jizz in something other than your shower after—what has it been—a year and a half, bro?"

"That's it! I am going to find your doctor lady and ask her if it is safe for you to take your herpes medication."

Emmett crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, "Fine, I'll lay off…for now, but seriously dude, did you honestly think I wouldn't give you a hard time?"

Changing the subject, "So, Jazz, tell me about that munchkin you were attached to last night?"

Emmett's eyes popped and his jaw dropped. "What the hell, you too Jayzee?"

"First, Emmett, no, there was no fornication last night. If and when I do copulate with Miss Alice, you will never hear a detail. Unlike you, I believe a woman is to be respected and cherished. If that little darlin' wishes to be intimate with me, I will treat her with the utmost respect."

Jasper's mom raised him well. He was one of the most respectful men you could ever meet, and in turn, he was worthy of the same respect. He was kind-hearted; he would give you the shirt off of his back—even if it _was_ a shirt that no respectable person would ever wear. _That man and his clothes._ I couldn't help but laugh. He was definitely no Rhett Butler, but he wasn't Larry the Cable Guy, either. _Thank God for that. _He was always wearing a T-shirt and raggedy-looking jeans—weathered, he had called them. He never was without a bandana in his back pocket, or a handkerchief, he would adamantly correct me.

But the one thing that made Jasper stand out from the rest of Washingtonians was his jacket. He wore a faded blue jean jacket covered with all sorts of military patches, ribbons and medals. I once asked him about his jacket. Two and a half hours later I knew the history of every Whitlock who had ever served, and unfortunately usually died for our country. Jasper was very proud of his heritage. He felt like a failure being unable to be one of the greats.

At eighteen, Jasper thought he had asthma, something that will not deny you enrollment into the military, however, they found out it was Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency. He was devastated. Once he realized there was nothing he could do, he researched other ways he could 'Serve and Protect'. This brought him to firefighting. He had been leery to follow this route at first because he thought for sure that the A1AD would cause him to fail his firefighter's test. However, he found that since it was mandatory for a firefighter to wear a self-contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA as we call it, he could be accepted like anyone else who could pass the entrance exam.

Jasper passed his test with flying colors and let me tell you, he was the best damned firefighter I have ever had the pleasure of working beside.

Emmett rolled his eyes, "Well, if you guys won't dish out any juicy details, will you at least go buy me a porn mag?"

The very same second the words 'porn mag' came out of Emmett's mouth a tall, gorgeous goldilocks walked right in. _Hmm, quite fitting. Goldilocks and the Big Bad Wolf…er, wait, it's the three bears, isn't it? Either way Emmett fit right into that fairy tale._

"Ahem. Mr. McCarty. I need to check the surgical site, please. Can you remove your hand from your penis long enough for me to examine your arm?"

I busted out laughing, but stopped abruptly when I realized Em really _did_ have his hand on his cock! _What an asshat!_

"Aww, come on, Rosie! Are you jealous? I can make room for your hand." _That douche didn't even miss a beat!_

Ever the mediator, Jazz stands up, reaches out his hand toward Goldilocks and says, "Howdy, Ma'am. Name's Jasper, nice to meet you." He kissed the back of her hand.

Goldilocks' icy blue eyes lit right up. "Jasper? As in Jasper Whitlock? As in the Whitlock who lip-locked with my Pee-Wee?" _What the hell?_

Unfortunately for Jazz and Goldilocks, Emmett had just taken a huge gulp of his cherry-flavored Slushie and commenced to spit it all over the two of them upon hearing that little rhyming anecdote.

"What the hell, Emmett? I just started my shift and now you blew fricken' red Slushie all over my scrubs!"

Emmett and I both were still staring, mouths agape, when I finally was able to ask, "Pee-Wee?"

"Alice. Her name's Alice. Have you not seen her? She's a four-foot-nothing, pocket-sized sprite. So, we call her Pee-Wee. Well, it was very nice meeting _you_ Jasper. You sure don't seem anything like this big oaf over here." Then, looking at Emmett, "_You_ will be getting my dry-cleaning bill for these scrubs, Mr. McCarty."

Emmett grinned the grin only known as _Emmett thinks he's God's gift to women_ grin. Oooh, this was about to get good. I mentally grabbed a bucket of popcorn.

"How about I take you in the bathroom and clean you up right now, Rosie? You'll thank me later."

I expected a slap. Hell, I felt like slapping him. He just kept grinning and I couldn't fully see her face, but I am about 95% sure her cheek lifted just the slightest bit. _Surely to God he didn't find a woman who actually enjoys his vulgarity?_

Calmly, as if he didn't say a word, she grabbed his hand and said, "Mr. McCarty, I do believe your chart says you are scheduled for an enema as well, you don't mind receiving it in front of your guests, do you?"

That grin I was telling you about? It just fell in the floor. Jasper and I almost joined it we were laughing so hard.

Then I heard something I had never heard in my life, and I mean n-e-v-e-r!

"I'm sorry, Rosie. You can send me your bill for your dry-cleaning." And he hung his head! _Oh my freaking God! No one has ever gotten Em to apologize, let alone to feel ashamed!?_

Dr. Rosie froze. Her shoulders fell minutely before she began unwrapping his bandage. _Was she disappointed that he gave up so easily?_

There was some freaky shit going on in this hospital. I was starting to wonder if we were in some parallel dimension.

"Well, it appears you are healing well, Mr. McCarty. I think you might be able to go home tomorrow or the next day." She turned to Jasper and I, "You boys take good care of this guy, and go get him his porn mag. I have a feeling this bad boy is in need of some self-loving." She grinned, patted his thigh—awfully close to his tented crotch—and sashayed out of the room.

"Boys, I am in love. I want that woman to have my babies. There is no other woman for me. Now, go get me my porn so I can get rid of these blue balls."

Jazz and I were both completely taken aback by the extraordinary transformation we just witnessed. Emmett was brought down by La Femme Fatale Blonde. He apologized, was remorseful, _and_ by some miracle managed to speak about having sex with this woman in a civilized manner. Quite impressive.

As we were walking out, Jazz grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me around the corner. "Edward, I didn't want to say anything to egg Emmett on, but you really do seem more chipper than usual. I honestly think that lil' thang you spent the night with has impacted you something fierce. You'd better hang on to her, Edward, you are down-right fortunate to come across someone that turns your world upside-down." He slowly grinned, nodding his head.

"Thanks, Jazz. Take care, man. I'll call you later."

"Yep, later, Ed."

* * *

After I went and picked up Emmett three of the most indecent, lascivious, raunchy magazines I could find, I took them to him, along with The Guzzler filled with cherry Slushie and the largest bag of beef jerky known to man.

He looked like a kid on Christmas morning, but he promptly bid me farewell in his very Emmett-like jargon, "Alright, homey-G, out! I have a date with Rosy palm and her five sisters."

Shaking my head and laughing, I waved and hurried out—his hand was already inching under his gown. _He's such a big kid._

* * *

I was back at the house, alone, which of course made me think of Isabella. It's not like I hadn't been thinking of her all day, but without Emmett's crazy ass to distract me, my thoughts of her only became increasingly…eventful.

I tried to keep myself occupied and distracted, but there is only so much an OCD bachelor can do in his house to stay busy. I wasn't _truly_ OCD, but I was meticulous about how clean I kept my house. Emmett won't even come over anymore. I usually spend the whole time yelling at him, and he says it reminds him of going home to his Mama's house.

The last time he was here I made him take off his shoes before he came in. _Come on, they were fucking muddy, what does he expect?_ He was constantly spilling his beer and I was behind him wiping up his dribbles everywhere. He knocked over the bowl of popcorn and I was still finding kernels in the couch cushions three days later. He even pissed all over the fucking toilet seat. I paid him back nicely for that one, though. I emptied his tube of KY and refilled it with Bengay. The night he found out he woke up the whole station with his screaming! _That's what you get for jacking off in the dark, dickhead_.

* * *

I had reorganized my DVD collection, my CD collection, and my library of books. Several times I would see something that made me think of Isabella and instinctively I would find my hand creeping toward Dick who was always ready and waiting like a new Buick with keys in the ignition. I gave up trying to fight it. After a few…sessions…I decided to continue my work in less confining boxers.

* * *

Several hours and several tissues later, Dick was exhausted—who could blame him?—and I was desperately in need of hearing Isabella's voice. I picked up my phone and called her.

Two rings and she answered laughing, "The Discovery Channel Song? Really?" _Ah, yes, she found the gift I left in the form of a ringtone_

"It's _called_ 'Bad Touch' Isabella, and I thought it suited us." I teased.

"I know what it is called, but I like calling it 'The Discovery Channel Song' so leave me alone," she giggled—I still loved that fucking giggle.

"So how was your day after you left me _all alone, all alone…all alone, all alone_?"

_Oh my God, I cannot believe I actually just sang stupid Gorillaz to Isabella, she is going to think I am a freaking moron._

"Edward, you have a beautiful voice. Can I hear you sing something that isn't gangster?" She was laughing with more force now.

"Actually, there has been a song on my mind ever since you left me this morning. It makes me think about you." _And whack off when I do…yeah, she will be thrilled by that, Cullen._

I could almost swear she was blushing as she said, "Okay…does this mean I can hear it?"

_Shit, what have I done? I can't let her know what song I had been singing while thinking about her all day…_

I tried my damnedest to think of any song that I could say made me think of her, but I was drawing a blank. A complete, fucking blank. Dick, who was exhausted just a few minutes prior, knew I was getting ready to sing the song he…performed to…so he started getting excited. _This was not helping matters whatsoever_.

"If you promise not to laugh."

I was walking into the kitchen to get some ice. There is no way I could sing that fucking song to her with a boner.

"I would never laugh at you, Edward."

"Well, it's just that the song is a bit more forward than is appropriate at this point in time with us."

"Will you just sing the damn song, Edward?" She snickered.

I flopped down on the couch and dropped the ice down my boxers.

_HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT IS SO COLD!!! OH MY FREAKING GOD!!_

I sucked in a breath and bit on my knuckles HARD in order to keep from yelping loud enough for Isabella to hear.

At this point, Dick was thoroughly pissed at me and vowed to go limp every time I put on a condom for the rest of my life.

"Edward?" _Nope, still can't talk. I think my balls might have just fallen off, but I'm not sure, I can't feel a thing_

"Edward?" _Wonder if anyone has had to go to the hospital with __**real**__ blue balls before_…

"You're giving me stage fright." I mumbled, still unsure if my voice would crack. "I feel like you're expecting some kind of spectacular singing or something."

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean anything by it. I just want to be serenaded. Please?" She was begging, but I could hear the teasing in her voice.

Laughing lightly, I said, "Okay, but I don't know about serenading…"

I tried not to think of who was listening on the other end of the phone. _Yeah right._

I tried not to think of how embarrassing this was going to be when I sang the part about the secret is still my own.

I tried not to think about how many times I jerked off to this song in my head today.

I tried all of these things, and just like Emmett when he tried to ride a unicycle, I failed…miserably.

As soon as the words, "_I hear the ticking of the clock"_ were out of my mouth, my frozen cock came back to life. _Well, at least we know there is still blood flow there_.

Then the words, _"lying"_ and _"pitch dark"_ fell from my lips and Dick started to twitch.

Then I grinned wickedly to Dick when I sang the word _"Alone" _

'_Til now I always got by on my own_

_I never really cared until I met you_

_And now it chills me to the bone_

These words are what made me think of Isabella tonight. I had never had a real relationship and had always been satisfied on my own. Of course I had dates and yes, of course, I'd had sex, but nothing ever meaningful…until last night.

I had finished the song and was starting to get nervous. I thought for sure Isabella was freaking out thinking I had meant the part insinuating I loved her. _This _is why I didn't want to sing this song to her.

"Well, most of that song makes me think of you, but don't be scared, I'm not crazy enough to be saying 'I love you' after one night of steaming hot sex." I laughed nervously.

"Good thing, I didn't want to have to take you back to the hospital to be checked for brain damage." She was smiling, I could tell that much. So, she wasn't freaked. This was good.

"I'm not opposed to you _taking_ me somewhere, but I prefer it not to be the hospital…which brings me to the reason I was calling. When can I see you again?" I think that might have come across a bit desperate.

"Well, tomorrow I have to work a double, so I won't be home until 6:30."

"Hmm, I don't have to go back to the station for three more days, so I am up for anything you are…and I am quite literally _up_ when it comes to you…God that was gay, wasn't it?" _Nice, Cullen_

She agreed that it was retarded, but cute, and then said something about my…_Whoah, what?_

"WOAH! Wait a minute. Twig n berries? I'm not _that_ small…right? Oh, God."

Isabella was laughing like a hyena at this point and me, being a typical male, immediately thought the worst. I mumbled, "This is so humiliating. Now I feel inadequate. I can never show my face around her again." I didn't think she heard me, but she laughed even harder.

Through her breaths, she was begging me to shut up because she couldn't breathe. Finally she caught her breath and told me it was just a figure of speech. _Tell that to Dick, who has crawled up into my ass to hide his face_

She started laughing again.

"That is a horrible figure of speech, where in the hell did you learn it?"

Still laughing, she explained that her mother used that 'figure of speech' when she gave her the sex speech.

I then asked her about her terminology for cooter and she cracked me up with her beaver story. _Was there anything about this girl that didn't constantly amaze me? She made me laugh, made me feel special – she even made me feel funny._

Now I was the one laughing like a hyena.

I told her how excited I would be to meet her Mom and she told me a little bit about her Mom and Dad. Her Mom sounded like she would be cool to meet, but her Dad…. I looked down at Dick and told him we wanted to stay on 'Daddy's' good side. He agreed.

We yawned together and I told her I needed to let her sleep and would like to pick her up tomorrow to go to an Italian restaurant for dinner.

We said goodnight to each other after she agreed to let me pick her up the next day. We were silly, like a couple of high-schoolers, but I loved it.

* * *

That night I had a dream that Isabella disappeared and I tried to look for her. Everyone told me I had imagined her. They said I had never met a woman named Isabella. I woke up in a cold sweat and was unable to fall back asleep. So, I went to the piano and started playing. My heart was aching the whole time. I faced the undeniable fact that Isabella had truly changed me.

**Here is my important A/N (LOL)**

**I have had 1300+ visitors to this story this month alone! That freaking astounds me! I haven't even 'advertised' this thing. So, if you guys would write me a quick note telling me how you found this story I would love you forever! Dick said he would love you as well and he would come out to play more often! I won't make any threats this time, lol, although last time had an effing hilarious outcome!**

**Also, if you would like for Dick to do or say something in upcoming chapters, let me know.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello my lovelies! I am blown away by the response this story is getting! I honestly doubted anyone would enjoy it and every day I get more and more of you adding me to your favorites! I luv you hard for that!**

**As always, thanks to AS08 and SBA, you are my cream and sugar in my coffee! You make this story so much better!**

**A couple of notes about this chapter. First of all, this is going to be different than usual, but don't get used to it. It was necessary for this chapter.**

**Second, I need to warn you. If you are not a texter (like me) the texts in this chapter might confuse you. Edward and Bella had a lot to say and evidently phone companies only allow 160 characters per text, so they had to use txt spk (text speak) lol. I made it as simple as possible, so if you read it slowly you will understand it. ;)**

**Get out your big girl panties and I will meet you at the end with an A/N.**

**SM owns these characters, but they own me.**

BPOV

"_Please, please don't leave us. __ I'll__ do anything. Please!" Edward continued to pack his suitcases__ as I began__ sobbing uncontrollably._

"_Bella, __I'm__ sorry,__ I just can't do this any longer. __ I don't love you anymore. I__'ve__ tried for three years to find __our__ love again, and I can't. It's over."_

"_Is…is it someone else?" __As if__ I wasn't heartbroken enough, I needed my heart torn completely apart, dropped on the ground and stepped on._

_Edward sighed. "I might as well tell you because __I'm sure __you will find out soon enough.__" He sighed__. __"__Yes, there is someone else. I'm sorry. I didn't want it to be this way, honestly, I swear."_

_Again, my heart lying on the ground,__ being __stepped on wasn't enough, I needed it to be put through the shredder… and then the blender._

"_Who?" I choked out._

"_Isabella, don't."_

"_Don't you dare call me that! You don't have the right to call me Isabella__ when you tell me you're leaving me and don't love me anymore! __ Isabella was your way of telling me you love me! You don't love me, so don't call me that! Ever. Again. I just need to know who it is, please."_

"_No."_

"_Who the fuck is it?" I stood with my fists balled at my side._

"_Tanya."_

_I started gagging and ran to the bathroom to throw up. Edward didn't follow me. _

_I cleaned myself up and walked slowly back into the bedroom._

"_How long?"_

"_It doesn't matter."_

"_It sure the fuck does matter, you asshole! Please tell me you were protected with that whore! I swear if you brought home a disease to me and our son I will spend the rest of my life making yours miserable you fucking piece of shit!"_

"_Tanya hasn't been with anyone for almost a year. She was tested before we were together. I would never put you in danger, and I sure as hell would never endanger our son."_

"_But yet, you fucked her without protection and then fucked me afterwards? That is fucking sick, Edward! How could I have been so stupid to think you were my 'forever'? I thought you were different than all of those __other __assholes out there. I am such an idiot. The only thing good that __ever __came from you is that tiny little human down the hall. Fuck you, Edward. Have a happy life with Tanya!"_

_Edward stopped packing and looked at me. I could see shame in his eyes, but I didn't care. He was still leaving, so that shame meant nothing._

"_Bella…there's more." Oh God, no._

"_She's pregnant, isn't she? You son of a bitch!"_

"_It won't change my relationship with our son, I promise. He means the world to me. I really want us to be able to remain friends…for his sake."_

* * *

I woke up in a cold sweat. _So much for 'sweet dreams.'_

I rolled over and looked at the clock. 3:15 am. Of course. Last night must have been a fluke. It was nice while it lasted.

Knowing it was futile to try to go back to sleep, I got up and headed to the living room to read a book. I looked through all of my collection. _Nothing but fucking love stories. What the hell is wrong with you Bella?_ I started flipping through channels on the television. A rerun of 'Monk' was on. _Just what I needed._ Humor and something to make me think…well, something to make me think of anything other than Edward. _Edward_. Just his name does strange things to my lady parts. _Focus, Bella. Watch the show. Don't think of Edward…sexy, gorgeous, perfect Edward…shit!_

I grabbed my book of crossword puzzles. Maybe if I have the TV on in the background and try to work a puzzle I won't think about 'He who must not be named.'

Twelve down: a green stone. e.m.e.r.a.l.d. _The color of Edward's eyes. God, when he came that green was even darker and more beautiful. F-U-C-K!!!_

Walmart! Walmart is open 24-hours a day. I can go to Walmart and get my mind off of…the person I am not thinking about…and the body I am not imagining sweaty and on top of me…and the tongue….

_Son of a fucking bitch! What the hell is wrong with me?_

* * *

Two hours and $432 later I was walking back into the house. The only thing my shopping trip accomplished was making me buy things I didn't need and had no place for. _What the hell do I need a __'__projection alarm clock with temperature__'__ for?_

I spent over 400 bucks on junk because I was dumb enough to think that looking at objects in front of me and placing them in a cart would help to change the conflicting feelings I was having.

I knew I was having feelings for Edward that I had never felt before and I couldn't let that happen. Renee has jumped into every relationship she has ever had and not one has lasted…well, she has been with Phil longer than any so far, so I guess I can't include that one.

I put my things in my room and grabbed a quick shower. At least I had to work today, that should help.

* * *

I had been at work for two hours when Alice came up to me near the nurses' station. "Belly Boo." She sang. "You slipped out of the house before us this morning. I missed you." She pretended to pout.

"I'm sorry, Al. I just had a lot on my mind and wanted to hurry and get to work."

"Your tall, dark handsome stranger, huh?" She was grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "Something like that." I started to walk away.

Alice grabbed my elbow and said, "Oh my God! You are totally going to ditch him, aren't you? Bella, you can't. You will be making a big mistake. I think he is your 'someone'—the one you have been waiting for. You can't walk away. I know you are scared, but we are all scared, Belly. You have to trust your feelings. Trust your heart."

"Al, look at what 'trust your feelings' did to my mom! I am not going to be like her. Besides, I'm not ditching him per se; I just want to slow down. And, quit talking your goofy mumbo jumbo stuff to me, you know I don't believe in that stuff."

Alice frowned. "I just want you to be happy and last night I saw you happier than I have ever seen you. Please don't screw it up. I haven't even met him and I just know he is right for you. Besides, we could double date! How cool would that be that we would all know each other—especially once Rose gets her head out of her ass and hooks up with Emmett."

_DATE!! Crap, I forgot I was supposed to go out with Edward tonight. I'm gonna have to call and cancel._

"Ali, I really need to get back to work. I won't screw this up, I promise. I'm going to make sure of that by not going too fast. I will see you later, girly."

"Just think about what you are doing. Sometimes fast isn't a bad thing. See ya tonight." We hugged and headed in opposite directions.

I turned a corner and saw Rose staring at the ceiling looking very flustered.

"Rosalie?"

"Bella, thank God! Here." She handed me a chart. "Go check on Em…er, Mr. McCarty for me, please? I have…uh…another patient I need to work on. Thank you." She started to walk away.

I grabbed her arm. "Not so fast. What's going on? You are lying, Rose. I'm not stupid. I have known you for seven years. What's wrong?"

Rose grunted, causing me to laugh. "I can't be in the room with him, Bella. I just can't. I want so bad to hate him, but I can't. He is an asshole. He is egotistical. He is perverted. He is obnoxious. He is…gorgeous…funny…sweet…and he makes my ovaries do flip flops! FUCK! I can't have feelings for this man, don't you see? It isn't me. I am always the one who has them following me around like a puppy dog. I don't do desperate, Bella! I can't take this."

I pulled her into a hug. "Rose, no one said you had to marry the poor sap. Just hang out with him for a while and see how things go. You're not committing your life to him or anything."

"I know, but Bella? You don't get it. When I am with him, I feel like I _want_ to commit my life to him. It's pathetic! I just need to stay away from him. Please check on him for me? Please?"

"Fine. But I think you should at least talk to him."

"I will Bella, but not yet. I just need to get my head straight."

_What__ in the world had__ happened to__ the three of us__?_

One night had changed all of our lives and the only one who seemed to accept it like nothing was wrong was Alice. Alice, the eclectic one. The tiny little freak who seemed to think she could see the future. Maybe she could. It didn't change the fact that I was scared and apparently Rose was right beside me in the chicken shit line.

* * *

At lunch I decided I needed to tell Edward I was canceling. I couldn't bear to call him. If I had to hear his voice, I knew I would cave and end up going…besides the fact that I would probably need a change of panties afterwards. So I texted him.

**I'm very sry, but sth came up, I can't go out 2nite. Raincheck? ;)**

**B**

Less than two minutes later, I received a text back.

**That breaks my hrt. I was so looking 4ward 2 taking u out. Defly can raincheck. What is ur schedule like the rest of the wk?**

**E**

I had a feeling he was going to ask that. I was going to have to lie. I hated lying. I've never been good at it. Maybe I could be good at texting a lie…hopefully.

**Well, rest of wk, Im rly busy. 2nite was only free nite. Im trbly sry. How bout nxt wk?**

**B**

Yeah. That should be convincing…right?

My phone beeped again.

**R U sure evythgs ok? U seem…off. Did I do sth? Was I 2 4ward? I tried rly hrd 2 cntrl myslf, but...jst, Im sry. Plz know I mean that. I trly am sry. **

**E**

Great. I can't even lie in a text. I was cursed with honesty. And now Edward thinks he did something wrong. What the hell am I supposed to do, now?

**U wernt 2 4ward, silly. U tried 2B a gentlmn n I dint let u. No need 2B sry! I jst hve a lot gng on this week. I promise. We can get 2gether nxt wk ;)**

**B**

I hoped that helped. I hated the thought of hurting Edward's feelings.

**Ok. I trust u. We can get 2gether nxt wk. Does this mean we cnt C each other this wk? No L8-nite? No quick lick on my….lol, jk! Can we talk on the fone?**

**E**

I had a drink of cappuccino in my mouth when I read his text and that drink ended up all over the table in front of me. Yeah, things were good between us still. _He is such a cute, funny sweet guy._

**LOL. So mch 4 guilt trip. Alrdy tryin 2 get me bck in ur bed? ;) We can txt as mch as u wnt n I will try 2 call u whn I can, k? I hve 2 hed bck 2 wrk, so cya L8r. :-)**

**B**

I was so conflicted. Every fiber of my being was pulling me towards Edward. I wanted to be with him more than I had ever wanted anything in my life. It was for this very reason I needed to stay away. Renee was a constant reminder to the consequences of spontaneous relationships. I'm sorry, but _this _apple _will_ fall very far from the tree.

Emmett had made this decision even harder. After speaking with Rose earlier, I went to his room quickly to examine him.

"Sweetcheeks! It's about time they sent me some eye candy! I was sick of seeing that old lady from the night shift." _Obviously he__ was feeling better__._

"Well, I guess you are feeling well today, Mr. McCarty." I smiled politely at him.

"Hell no! Don't you dare call me Mr. McCarty! You already saw my bare ass; that entitles you to call me Emmett. I can't bear the thought of a woman who has seen me naked calling me Mr. McCarty—that is just pedophilish! Eww" He shuddered exaggeratedly.

"Okay, okay, Emmett. Let's see that arm." I reached for his wrist, but he grabbed my hand and stopped me.

"Sweetcheeks, we need a confab. You, little lady, have done a number on my homeslice, Eddie! He is head over heels for you. I have never seen him so…what's that word they used in 'Bambi'? Twitterpated, yeah, that's what it was. He literally has stars in his eyes, Sweetcheeks, I mean it! So, tell me, how do you feel about him? You ain't gonna drop him like a bad habit are ya? He is a great guy, any woman would be lucky to have him." _Did you even breathe just now, Mr. Dimples?_

I obviously wasn't going to be able to get away from this today.

"Oh, Emmett. I really can't talk about this right now. Can we please not have this discussion?"

I started to unwrap his arm to look at the site. I tried desperately not to look at him, but he was being too quiet, and that isn't good when it comes to Emmett. I chanced a glance up at him.

He was grinning like a fool. "Oh, we're having it, Missy. I can tell something is going on in that cute little head of yours. Spill the beans."

"I don't know, Emmett. I just feel like we're moving too fast. I just met him! It's not natural to be consumed by someone this quickly."

"Aww, c'mon little lady, don't start feeling bad. I don't know about this whole fate and destiny thing that the world talks about, but I think that when you feel strongly about something you should go with it. If you suddenly had a strong feeling to change careers or move, you would at least consider it, wouldn't you? I'm not saying to jump in head first, but definitely think about it."

"Yeah, Emmett, I have been doing an awful lot of thinking about it…too much, in fact. I just need to clear my head. Don't you worry about me." I smiled half-heartedly at him.

"No offense, Sweetcheeks, but I worry more for my boy, Ed, than I do you. I think you are just strong-willed enough to take care of yourself. But Eddie…that dude has been needing love for a long time now, and I don't want to see him heartbroken."

I grinned, "Wow, Emmett, I didn't know you had a soft side to you. You seem like you care about Edward. And here I thought you were like a grizzly bear…turns out you are more like a teddy bear!"

Emmett rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "I don't know about all of that, but I look after my man, Eddie."

I finished rewrapping the dressing on his wound, patted his knee and whispered, "You're a good man, Emmett." I smiled and walked out quickly.

_Lay on more guilt, just what I need. How in the hell am I going to stay away from Edward?_

* * *

EPOV

"_It's a boy! A beautiful, brown-eyed boy! Edward, he is gorgeous. He looks like both of you. I am so proud of you guys!" Mom couldn't contain herself._

_Everyone was in the room crowding around Isabella. Emmett and Rose, Alice and Jasper, my mom and dad, Bella's mom, stepdad, sister, and dad. It was a complete madhouse. I needed to clear the room so my beautiful wife could get some rest._

"_Okay guys, out! Everyone, out! Isabella needs rest! She was in labor for 15 hours with this guy, let her sleep. Please."_

_Everyone started to walk out, but Alice just sat on the end of Isabella's bed, rubbing her feet._

"_Alice…that means you, too."_

"_I'm not leaving, Ederoo. She needs me. I am staying."_

"_Alice. She __**needs**__ sleep. You can come back in a few hours. Go on. She won't even know if you are here or not." I picked up the tiny woman and started to carry her toward the door._

"_Edward! Put me down! I will go, just let me walk, for God's sake." She huffed._

_I let her go and she stalked out of the room pouting._

_I sat on the edge of Isabella's bed and smiled at her and our beautiful son._

"_You were amazing, baby. I have never been more proud of you than I am right now. You two are my world. I __never believed I could be so happy__. I love you so much."_

* * *

I woke up smiling, but when I realized why I was smiling I darted out of the bed. _What the hell? One night with the woman and I am dreaming__ about__ her having my child? Pathetic, Cullen, pathetic._

My phone rang almost as soon as my feet hit the floor. It was my mother, just who I needed to speak to. Her 'psychic' little phone call had had me all sorts of crazy. Maybe she could help clear my head.

"Hello, Mother."

"Edward, dear! I am two blocks from your house, are you decent? I thought you could use a visit from your dear old mom." She was giggling uncontrollably.

"Mother…what do you mean you are near my house? You are in Seattle? Why? Mother, you should have let me know, I could have picked you up."

I loved my mother and loved visits from her even more. I was starting to feel giddy like a schoolgirl.

"Sixth sense, my dear. I have a feeling you could use a visit and a chitchat. Be there in a jiffy."

* * *

This was not good. I was looking out my window, when I saw Mom hop out of her cab nearly bouncing out of her four-inch Rochas—I only knew the name of her shoes because she had constantly threatened to "shove them up Emmett's hiney" on various occasions when he misbehaved in front of her.

I opened the front door and saw that she was half-way up the walk already. I laughed and shook my head.

She was already going ballistic. "It happened! I knew it! I was right! How did you meet? Where was it? When do I get to see her? I am so excited! I knew you would find someone, honey, I just knew it!" Meet my mother, no, she is not on crack, believe me, dad had her tested.

I leaned down and wrapped my arms around her small frame and squeezed her tightly.

"Mom, can we get in the house before the twenty questions please?" I laughed. "And I can't believe you are wearing heels this early in the morning just to visit your son."

"Pssh. Edward, you know your father loves my legs in heels. I always wear them. I need to keep the fires burning. Speaking of fires, how is Emmett? Your dad said he was burned, but that it wasn't severe. I plan to go see him tomorrow."

My mom can change the subject quicker than a nervous politician.

"First, Mom, please don't ever talk to me about your fires with Dad, that is just disturbing on so many levels. Second, Em is doing fine. He thinks he is in love with his surgeon." _Shit. I meant to stay away from the subject of love for a few more minutes._

"Doesn't Emmett think he is in love with every woman he sees? Come on, honey, let's get a drink. I have a feeling you'll need one."

I followed Mom into the den and sat at the bar. She rounded the bar and looked at me contemplatively. "Scotch today, huh?"

I grinned. Mom could always tell what I was in the mood for. Maybe it was 'mother's intuition' or maybe she really had other-worldly powers. Maybe I was just losing my mind.

"So, this fire the other day? Emmett was a hero. You should be proud of him."

"I am always proud of my boys!"

Mom always thought of Emmett as one of her own. He and I had been _brothers_ since our freshman year of high school. I was the geeky, lanky, odd ball and he was the captain of the football team. One day he was heading to lunch with several of his buddies and one of them said, "Get out of the way Sullen Cullen! You freak!" Emmett didn't know me and we had never said two words to each other, but right then and there, that changed.

Emmett halted the whole gang in the hall. "Hey! Don't be callin' him a freak! Ed's cool, man. He has more brains in his pinky toe than your whole family has put together! You ever talk like that to him again and I will make sure Coach benches you for a month!"

I just stared…like a freak… _how convenient… _when Emmett shocked the hell out of me. He walked over, put his arm around my shoulder, and said, "Come on, dude, don't mind him, he's just pissed cause his balls ain't dropped yet!" With that, Emmett became my best buddy. I never knew what made him befriend me but our friendship has been a life-saver to us both. He was there for me during the baby scare—aka BabyGate—and I was there for him when his sister died three years ago. We went to college together. We partied together. We worked together. And one day, we would raise families together. He really was my brother from another mother.

"I know you are, Mom. You should have seen him, though. We were in that building and it was collapsing around us. Jazz heard a girl crying and without even thinking, Em ran to her. It was truly amazing, Mom."

"Is that how he was burned?" Mom asked and then took a very large drink of her vodka.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Really, Mom? It's 9:30 in the morning…" I chuckled. "Anyway, no, Em was burned because he went back to make sure there were no other little kids back there. His glove had been caught on a broken banister and we had to remove it, so when he went back he was too close to the fire and didn't have a protective glove. The flames burned his arm where his sleeve had ridden up a bit. He is so proud of his burn, though." I laughed again. "He is happy to have beaten me on our record of worst burns."

"You just be sure to let him keep the record, sweetheart, I don't want to worry about you. I already worry enough. I am proud that you guys like to save innocent people, but I know how dangerous it is and I don't know what I would ever do if I lost either one of you."

"That's enough, Mom, the drinks are supposed to calm us, not get us all mushy and depressed. How's Dad doing? I haven't talked to him for almost two weeks, except when we spoke briefly about Emmett."

"Your father is fine, dear, but let's cut the small talk. I know what brings me here, I just haven't figure out why yet. Tell me about her."

I shook my head. "Why in the world would you think it is a woman, mother? I didn't say a word."

"Edward, dear, I am your mother. I can look at you and tell you so many things about yourself. I can tell you that you haven't been sleeping well lately, you have been eating too much junk food, and… hmm, she stayed over, didn't she? I trust you used protection?"

"MOTHER! I am _not_ having this conversation with you, geez. You sure are a nosey old bag, aren't you?" I laughed and lightly shoved her shoulder.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me the details, I trust you, but please tell me about her, I am going crazy here, honey."

"Okay, fine. You're right, I honestly do need to talk to you about her, which reminds me, thanks for coming, Mom. I have really missed you." I smiled my half grin letting her know I was being honest. "Her name is Isabella Swan. She prefers to go by Bella, but I insist on calling her Isabella. She is a—"

"Wait. Why do you insist on calling her Isabella against her wishes?" She was looking at me puzzled.

I laughed, "Well, Mom, of course you know that 'bella' means beautiful, which she is more than beautiful, by the way. I told her that I just feel she has forgotten the significance of that name and I think Isabella is an exquisite name for an exquisite woman. You should see her, Mom. She has long, gorgeous chocolate brown hair with slight auburn highlights. Her eyes are so intense and deep, like I can see her soul. I can't explain it. She has the face of an angel, Mom, I swear. I have never seen anyone as amazing as her. She captivates me. And it's not just her looks. She is a wonderful person. She is a doctor in the ER. She is funny, always smiling, and she has the cutest blush you have ever seen. Oh, and she can handle Emmett! That is a feat in itself."

"She sounds wonderful hon, but what is the problem…'cause I can tell something is bothering you."

"That's just it. I don't know if it's your creepy, cryptic, voodoo ideas that have invaded my uncharacteristically normal thought processes, but I can't get her out of my head. I feel like a compass and she is my due North. Last night I could hardly sleep…and I had a dream." I paused, not knowing if I should really disclose this information to my mystic mother. _She'll get it out of you anyway, might as well give it willingly._

I huffed and rolled my eyes like the mature adult that I was. "I dreamed she had my child…" I closed my eyes afraid of what was coming next.

SQUEEEEEEEAL "Edward!! Do you know what this means?"

I mumbled, "That I am in desperate need of a therapist? Or at the very least, I should spend less time around Emmett?"

"Oh, Edward. You are in love! You have found your destiny." _Or that…_

"Mom, seriously. You can't know that."

"Baloney, Edward. I knew the minute I met your father that I was going to marry him."

"You did not! You have told me about how you and Dad met and how long it took for you to let him court you. You can't fool me, Mother."

"Edward, darling. I am sure you have heard of a little thing called 'playing hard to get?' I had to make him work for it. Back in my day, women didn't just throw themselves at men unless they were floozies. I still play hard to get from time to time, your father loves it!"

"Mom, I just puked in my mouth! I do _not_ want to imagine your sexcapades with Dad, please for the love of God, keep that to yourself!"

"Regardless, dear, I am telling you that when you know, _you know._ Simple as that." Mom had finished her drink and was pouring another. I hadn't even taken a sip of mine. Mom wasn't usually a drinker; I was quite amused with her behavior today.

"So, Mom, what's with the drinking today? You never have a second drink, something wrong?"

"Oh no, dear. Nothing is wrong. It's just that those ladies at my bridge club said they can drink me under the table and I want to prove them wrong. I am conditioning myself."

This caused me to laugh a deep belly laugh. My poor mom was so naïve. "Mom, it takes _years _to condition yourself to drink like those old cougars. You shouldn't be upset that they can drink you under the table. That makes you ten times the woman that they are. You don't want to be a lush."

"It's just…do you know what it is like to always be the goodie-two-shoes? Those ladies are always so crude and degrading to me."

"Why do you hang out with them, Mom? You are better than them. Why don't you join a knitting club, or…what about that scrapbooking club at the community center?"

"I guess you're right. I just have been in the bridge club for so long, I feel like I can't leave them."

"They aren't good for you. You shouldn't be around people who are always making you feel inferior. Especially when _they_ are the inferior ones. I don't want you to go back, Mom. Does Dad know you have been trying to drink more to keep up with them?"

"NO! Your father would kill me. You will keep this to yourself, Edward…please?" She smiled sheepishly.

"Okay, Mom, but no more drinking. And stay away from the club. I love you, and I can't bear to think of you around those maniacal women. Promise me?"

"On one condition. I want to meet your Bella. And soon."

"Okay, Mother. When _she's_ ready to meet you, but no sooner."

I had a very nice visit with my mother before she insisted on getting a room at The Westin. I offered her my spare bedroom, but she blew me off saying something about how I didn't need my mother cockblocking me. _Please __Lord,__ don't ever let me hear those words come out of my mother's mouth again._

I drove her to the hotel, promising to have brunch the following morning after we had a visit with Emmett.

After leaving her at the hotel, I started the drive home, taking the scenic route, hoping for some distraction. A few minutes later, I heard my phone alert me of a text. I glanced over to see who it was from. _Isabella._ Feeling like the love sick fool my Mother had just told me I was, I pulled over to read it.

**I'm very sry, but sth came up, I can't go out 2nite. Raincheck? ;)**

**B**

_Uh oh. _This didn't sound good. She sounded too…formal. Was she blowing me off. I screwed up. That song last night was too much. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut.

**That breaks my hrt. I was so looking 4ward 2 taking u out. Defly can raincheck. What is ur schedule like the rest of the wk?**

**E**

I had to know if she really had something come up or if she was cancelling indefinitely.

**Well, rest of wk, Im rly busy. 2nite was only free nite. Im trbly sry. How bout nxt wk?**

**B**

_Shit! Over before it even began. Just my luck._ I had to give it one more shot.

**R U sure evythgs ok? U seem…off. Did I do sth? Was I 2 4ward? I tried rly hrd 2 cntrl myslf, but...jst, Im sry. Plz know I mean that. I trly am sry. **

**E**

**U wernt 2 4ward, silly. U tried 2B a gentlmn n I dint let u. No need 2B sry! I jst hve a lot gng on this week. I promise. We can get 2gether nxt wk ;)**

**B**

Hmm. She wouldn't say we can get together next week if she was planning on ditching me again, would she? Maybe she really did have something come up.

**Ok. I trust u. We can get 2gether nxt wk. Does this mean we cnt C each other this wk? No L8-nite? No quick lick on my….lol, jk! Can we talk on the fone?**

**E**

_Yeah, that was smart…_

**LOL. So mch 4 guilt trip. Alrdy tryin 2 get me bck in ur bed? ;) We can txt as mch as u wnt n I will try 2 call u whn I can, k? I hve 2 hed bck 2 wrk, so cya L8r. :-)**

**B**

Well, at least her words seemed lighter than they did in the beginning, and she seemed to be taking my joke well. I just had a bad feeling about this.

I began to think that I might have just lost the best thing that had ever happened to me, and it hadn't even been a full 24 hours yet.

_There lies my heart on the floor, still beating, but broken._

Dick was writing out his will, convinced his life was now over.

****Ducks behind a brick wall** I know, I know. You guys can trash me in a review, I won't be mad. But honestly, think about it. Who really falls that fast? *grin* I already have the next chapter written (next 3 actually) so if you ask for a bit of a teaser in your review, I will send one your way just to ease the pain.**

**Who loves Esme? I would love to have a mom like her! lol!**

**Ok, so Bella said the more reviews she gets the faster she will meet up with Edward ;)**

**Thanks so much for reading guys!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello, hello! I am sorry for the delay in updates this weekend. I kind of got wrapped up in reading Art After 5 (if you haven't read it, go read it, very good story!)**

**It won't happen again, I am sorry, lol.**

**As always I would like to thank AS08 and SBA for being the letter E on my keyboard (Hey, you try typing a sentence without an E….)**

**SM owns the characters. I own the Josh Hartnett obsession and the word smilesplosion! (really, look it up on urbandictionary! LOL)**

BPOV

Six days had passed. Six long days of not seeing his kelly green eyes that somehow reminded me of my trip to Ireland last summer. Six days of not hearing his titillating, sonorous voice. Six days of not seeing his kissable lips. Heck, six days of not _kissing_ those lips. Six days that I've woken up from a dream that forced me to diddle the skittle…on fifteen different occasions. _Pathetic_. _Totally pathetic_.

The worst thing about these six days of personally inflicted torture and depression was that I was no fucking where closer to finding a resolution to my the situation I created. The only thing I **was **closer to was worrying that I really was going to get carpal tunnel. _Maybe I should invest in some batter-operated playthings…_

Just because I had six days physically away from Edward without actually talking on the phone to him did not mean that I had six days without communication with him. In fact, because of this new form of communication, I was doubly worried about the health of my wrists. Edward and I had been texting each other uncontrollably. Sometimes it was merely those necessary 'getting to know you' conversations. "What is your favorite color? What is your favorite food? Did you have a childhood pet? What did you want to be when you grew up?" I learned so much about Edward in these texts.

I found out his favorite color was turquoise. His favorite dish was manicotti. His least favorite was asparagus—in fact, the smell made him gag. He had three pets from his childhood—Samson, a big Rottweiler; Delilah, his counterpart; and Furby, a calico cat. They all died of old age, having lived happy and healthy lives. He hated vampire movies, loved a good comedy, and could actually enjoy a chick flick. His favorite actor was Ryan Reynolds. His favorite actress was Katherine Heigl. His favorite movie of all time was 'It's a Wonderful Life' and he admitted to crying every time Clarence 'got his wings.'

He liked a variety of music ranging from Fall Out Boy to The Fray to Journey to Fleetwood Mac. He even threw in some Elvis for good measure. He was an avid book reader. He loved word searches and Scrabble. He was never good at chess, but he could play a mean game of checkers.

He wanted to go into medicine when he was younger until his neighbor's house burned down and he had to watch them lose everything in a matter of minutes. This was the catalyst that propelled Edward toward his passion for fighting fires. His parents were completely supportive of his decision stating that either way he was helping others and that was admirable.

I found out he was afraid of spiders, something that made me laugh uncontrollably. I told him it was quite hilarious that he would brave the fires to save people he didn't even know but an itty bitty eight-legged creature could bring him to his knees. Of course _that_ sentence caused a rather hot conversation to ensue, causing another round of flicking the bean that night.

Edward and I even had a discussion about masturbation… After I confessed to the frequency of my 'sessions', Edward didn't respond for a very long time. When I texted him back asking where he went, he finally responded that something had 'come up' and he had been unable to text me back immediately. For the next twenty minutes I had teased him about exactly what 'came up' and how he 'brought it down' and I could tell he was extremely embarrassed. He tried desperately to convince me that was not the case. I told him not to be ashamed because I thought it was pretty fucking hot when a guy brings himself pleasure while thinking about a girl (namely me) bringing herself pleasure.

The last text I received was so long it had to be broken up and sent several times. The result did the same thing to my heart – broke it into little pieces and had me sitting here contemplating the pro's and con's of throwing myself in front of a bus.

**Isabella**

**It has been almost a week and though I have enjoyed our convos immensely, I can't shake this feeling that you are avoiding me…or rather *us*. **

**I would hate to think I'm holding on to a shred of hope that you could have feelings for me as I have for you. If you need time, I can give you time., **

**But please, let me know if your intentions are strictly to remain friends so that I can let go of that dream. As I told u, Ive never felt this way b4**

**& even tho Ive been apart from ur presence 4 the past 6 excruciatingly miserable days, u've invaded my evry thought—conscious & unconscious **

**I smile evry time I think of u and I can't breathe evry time I think of never seeing u again. Plz put me out of my misery. Hope 2 hear from u very soon. ;)**

**Edward**

It took me twelve long minutes to be able to respond to this text. I hadn't wanted to cross this bridge yet. I knew now what I didn't know six days ago, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I couldn't stay away from Edward. As much as he was drawn to me, I was equally drawn to him, if not more. I could try to deny it, I could try to avoid it, and I could try to forget about it. Nothing was going to change this. I knew what I had to do.

**What are your plans today?**

**B**

I started to grab my things for a shower when I was alerted of a responding text from Edward.

**Em is being released 2day. Jazz & I are picking him up & taking him to Gameworks. Would u & ur friends be interested in joining us? I would luv 2 see u ;)**

**Edward**

I had always loved Gameworks. When I lived in Phoenix, Phil and I used to argue over the better game room, Gameworks or Dave and Busters. Phil preferred D&B, while I preferred Gameworks. I hadn't been to either one of these places for over five years. This sounded exactly like what we needed, all of us. I just had to find a way to convince the girls to go to a manly establishment.

**E**

**That would b wonderful! Let me talk 2 the besties and see if they can handle the loss of estrogen and I'll let u know. What time are u guys picking him up?**

**B**

I stuffed my phone in my pocket and walked into the living room to see who was awake. Alice was standing on the dining room table with a small paintbrush in her hand.

"Hey Spazzmidgit…uh, what are you doing?"

"I am cleaning the chandelier, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Well, it _looks_ like you are painting the dang thing, not cleaning it. Why not just use the duster?"

"The duster doesn't get all of the nooks and crannies. Do you know how much dust we inhale every day? It's a miracle that we haven't all died from dust inhalation." _Alrighty then…_

"Okay my little dramatic friend. You need to lay off the crackpipe. So…I have a proposition for you. Come down off of your pedestal and have a sitdown with me." I motioned to the breakfast nook and I grabbed the orange juice out of the fridge.

"I know you don't normally like testosterone-ridden hangouts, but Emmett is getting out of the hospital today and Edward and Jasper are taking him to Gameworks to celebrate. They wanted us to come with. Are you up for it?" No sooner had I said the word Jasper, and Alice was bouncing in her seat with eyes as big as teacups as her face erupted with a smilesplosion.

I laughed at my little freak of nature and said, "So, I take that as a 'yes' you are interested?"

Alice was immediately out of her seat and on her way to the bedroom squealing, "I have the perfect outfit, Bellaleia, and we can match!" _Just what I wanted, my own little Mini Me_…

I knocked lightly on Rosalie's door, not really wanting to wake Cruella—her morning alter ego—but I really thought she would want to go.

"If you aren't dying, go away. Hell, even if you _are_ dying, go away!"

"Rose, I just wanted to see if you'd like to go to Gameworks with us."

"Why in the hell would I want to get out of bed to go to a cockpit? Now. Go. Away."

"Okay, if you are sure… We were celebrating Emmett getting out of the hospital and I just thought you would like to come." _Mentioning Emmett could be either really good or really bad_.

"Well, I sure as shit don't want to go now! Tell that Fuckhead I hope he chokes on his beer." _Hmmm, that_ _settles it,__t__hat girl is head over heels for that man_. _Who would have thought….?_

"Well, I guess we'll see ya when we get back then Rose. I will make sure to send Em your love." I giggled.

"Fuck off, Bell."

* * *

"I don't care if they are 'fuck me' boots, I am not wearing them! The shirt and pants are fine and heck, I will even agree to the pigtails and ribbons, but not the boots. It's my Chucks or else."

Alice somehow happened to have two Seahawks jerseys buried in her gimongous closet. I immediately grabbed Hasselbeck's jersey, but she jerked it back. I started to grab it again until I saw she had scissors.

"What are you doing?" I eyed her suspiciously.

"Making it sexier." And before I could object she had already started cutting.

"Alice! You're ruining it." She rolled her eyes and continued.

Thirty seconds later she handed me half of a shirt and then grabbed Wallace's jersey and turned it into a very unique halter top. _Well, at least mine covers my tatas completely_.

"Alice, I am not really comfortable showing this much skin and you know it. Why did you have to ruin a perfectly good shirt?"

"You have a perfect body for showing some skin, now hush and put your hair up."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Alice had her short spiky hair pinned with hair clips on either side that matched her jersey perfectly. She was wearing dark grey skinny jeans and black knee-high boots with six inch heels. I don't know how she did it, but she managed to look sexy and sporty. I just looked sporty…

I also had a pair of dark grey skinny jeans, but I was wearing my favorite pair of black on black Chucks. Alice insisted on the pigtails. She took two ribbons—Seahawk ribbons, by the way—and tied cute little bows on each pigtail. I looked like a little girl going to watch her daddy play football. Alice looked like an off-duty Sea Gal. _Inferiority complex? Check._

I grabbed my favorite hoodie and my purse while texting Edward to tell him that we would meet at the hospital, when I felt Alice jerk the hoodie out of my hands.

"Oh no, missy. You aren't taking that raggedy piece of crap you call a shirt. You look hot, and I am not gonna let you ruin it." The little imp actually pushed me out the door and locked it behind her.

* * *

We pulled up in front of the hospital and before I had even come to a complete stop Alice was already out of the truck and in front of the sliding doors. I put my truck in park, but stayed inside with it running. I could see the guys coming through the foyer.

Jasper had barely pushed open the door before Alice was in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist and mauling his face. I couldn't help but laugh.

I let my eyes wander slightly to their left and I was suddenly immobilized. I don't know how long we stared at each other before Emmett belted out a "Hallelujah!" breaking us both from our trance. At the exact same time a grin crept across each of our faces and before I knew it Edward had my door opened and pulled me up into his arms.

"God Isabella, please don't ever make me go that long without seeing you again," he blurted out. Edward then commenced giving me a heart-stopping, panty-dropping, earth-shattering, brain-scattering kiss. His hands started in my hair, trailed down my neck to my shoulders and continued to my waist. When he reached my waist—my bare waist—he pulled back and said, "Shit, what are you wearing?"

When he looked down, he caught his breath and pulled me close again, whispering in my ear. "Isabella…that outfit is very inappropriate." He pulled my hand down to his cock and continued to speak into my ear, this time much more deeply than before. "Do you feel that? Every guy in that place is going to want to fuck you, Isabella, just like I do right now. I can't have all of those men ogling what is mine." _I began to tingle_. _Oh God, yes! I am yours Edward. From now on, I am yours._

With my hand still on his crotch, Edward pushed further into me and started kissing me passionately again.

I was moaning and breathing erratically when Emmett shouted, "For fuck's sake, get a room!" I started to pull away, but Edward pushed even deeper, his tongue filling my mouth completely as he moaned and panted and continued to grope me everywhere. At this point I was starting to think exhibitionism might not be so bad.

Suddenly, a tiny little human was pushing between Edward and I. "Guys! Do you want to go to jail for indecent exposure? Jiminy Cricket, chill out!" Alice somehow managed to push Edward back far enough for us to untangle ourselves from each other.

I licked my lips and looked down at her, "This coming from the Oompa Loompa who was just all up on Jasper's junk two minutes ago." Edward chuckled and shook his head.

"Well, I know when to stop, you goober. You guys were practically dry humping right here at the hospital entrance! I know you are probably both sexually frustrated, but save it for the bedroom, it will make it twice as fun tonight!" She turned on her heel and headed towards Jasper's Mustang that was parked in front of my truck.

I looked at Edward, who was staring at my waist and licking his lips. "Well, I guess Alice is riding with them, do you want to ride with me?" Edward swallowed hard and his eyes became darker and he started inching towards me.

I backed up, hands up in front of me, "No, no! I have enough spazzle in my panties to fill the Grand Canyon. You better back up mister. We need to get going." Edward got a wicked look in his eyes, but went to the passenger's side door and slid in.

I shook my head to get my bearings and climbed into the driver's side. Jasper pulled out and I pulled out behind him. Once we were on the highway Edward scooted closer to me and started kissing my neck.

"Um…Edward, that isn't a good idea. Keep your lips to yourself." I giggled.

Edward didn't say anything, and didn't pull his lips away. Edward did, however, reach across my stomach and unbutton my jeans faster than I could say cumderwear. I barely was able to suck in a breath and his fingers were already curled inside of me.

"Edward! FUCK!" I tried to grab his hand to pull it out, but it was too late, I was already on the verge of climax.

Edward sucked on my earlobe before he said, "Fuck, Isabella, I love having your pussy juice all over my fingers. Cum for me, baby, so I can lick it all off."

I swerved my truck, nearly going into oncoming traffic. Edward took his unoccupied hand, and steadied the steering wheel and continued to manipulate me to orgasm.

"Fucking son of a bean dipped mother frito!!" I screamed out filling the cab of my truck with the deafening sound.

Edward's hand was still in my pants, and he buried his face in my neck laughing his ass off. I pulled my face back a bit and looked at him questioningly, which was difficult given that I was still driving.

I was still breathing hard, so all that came out was, "Wha?"

Edward looked at me out of the corner of his eye, pulled his hand out of my pants and began to suck each finger clean, and moaning, before he said, "What in the hell was that you said about a mother frito?" as he started laughing again.

I blushed quite severely because I didn't even realize that I had used the phrase my mom always used in front of my baby sister. "You are lucky we didn't wreck and die with that stunt, Gigi. You get to drive home tonight mister." I said wiggling my eyebrows.

* * *

We made it to Gameworks and Emmett jumped out of the car and ran up to my side of the truck, opened the door and said, "OH MY GOD, Edward!! You totally gave her road fingers, didn't you? I saw her swerving all over the road! Fuck, Sweetcheeks, how was it?"

I slapped him. Twice. I started to walk away, but stopped and glanced over my shoulder and said, "It was alright, but just watch the swerving on the way home tonight." And I sauntered off toward the door.

"Duuuude! You fucking lucky ass dawg! She is a spitfire, I think I love her….eh, for _you_ that is." I could hear Emmett laughing as I walked inside, face fire-engine red, I am sure.

* * *

The server appeared within a minute of us sitting down. "Hi there! My name is Nessie, I will be your server today. Are you ready to give your drink orders?"

Alice ordered a Chocolate Banana Smash, Jasper ordered a Mudslide, Emmett ordered a Gameface, Edward ordered a Tom Collins and I ordered a Wallbanger. Emmett snickered when I placed my order and I just rolled my eyes.

"Can we go ahead and place our appetizers now?" Alice chimed in.

"Sure, what can I get you?" Nessie responded.

We ordered nachos, potato skins, and chicken tenders and Emmett boomed, "And a rib basket!"

I looked up with my eyes bugging out of my head, "Are you gonna eat it by yourself Dimples?" He just grinned an Emmett grin.

We rattled on about anything and everything while waiting for our drinks. Emmett told us how bored he had been for the last week _all alone_ in the hospital. He gave us a few stories about the night nurses and the things he pulled on them when the lights were off.

"One of these days your antics are gonna land you in jail, brother." Jasper

"Pssh, they love me, Jay, they won't call the cops on me."

Alice and I just rolled our eyes.

"Hey, Al, let's go play DDR! Winner does the laundry for a week."

"Okay, but you know I always beat you." Alice jumped up and was at the machine before I had even pushed my seat out. Edward chuckled beside me.

Alice beat me two out of three times. The only reason I beat her once was because a girl rubbed against Jasper and Alice got distracted watching to make sure it didn't go further than that.

"Okay, I am beat, I'm gonna play a game of pinball to cool off." I grinned.

I was playing pinball for about a minute and a half when I felt Edward come up behind me. He pushed his erection into my back, lowered his voice and whispered, "You sure look sexy, little lady." He was trying to disguise his voice, so I thought I would tease him.

"I told you to wait until later, I'm here with someone and if he sees you rubbing all up on my ass he is gonna start some crap." I bit my cheek to keep from smiling, while staying focused on the game.

Edward grabbed my shoulders and turned me around quickly. "What?! Who are you talk—" I had let a smile cross my face so he knew I had just played him. "You will pay for that Isabella. That was not very nice."

"Well, you shouldn't have tried to pretend to be a stranger. Do you honestly think you can disguise that unmistakable voice of yours?" I stood on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "The replaying of that voice was the cause of many orgasms over the past week, there is no hiding it from me."

Edward sucked in a breath. "Isabella…you better watch yourself, I am warning you." But I could see a twinkle in his eye.

I stepped closer, while snaking my hand down between us and cupping his hardened cock and squeezing it a few times. "Or what, Edward?"

Suddenly, he had me by my hand and was pulling me through the crowd of people. "Edward, where are—" He lifted a hand letting me know to drop it and continued to pull me to the back door. We were out the back door and heading toward a small patch of woods. Edward was walking so fast that I stumbled three times.

Once we were about thirty feet into the trees, Edward grabbed my shoulders and pushed me into a tree and began to ravage my neck. "I warned you Isabella. You didn't listen, now you are in trouble."

Edward's hands were all over me and his lips were sucking and nipping everything he came in contact with. He lifted his hands up my half-shirt and quickly unsnapped my bra. I sucked in a breath and he dipped his head to lick my nipple while his other hand was pinching the other one.

"Uhhh, Edward. We can't…anyone can see us…you have—"

"No, Isabella, it doesn't matter, you are quite literally fucked…or at least you will be shortly." He mumbled while his lips were still against my breast. His free hand was unbuttoning my pants yet again and I was past the point of caring who could see us.

Edward released my nipples and pulled down my pants along with my panties and quickly buried his face into my nether regions. I let out several indecipherable sounds. Edward's tongue twirled and dipped and pressed every nerve in my center. He quickly brought me to orgasm for the second time in so many hours before raising up and saying, "Now, Isabella, I am going to bury my cock in your pussy and fuck you until you promise not to disobey me again." _Holy hell, Gentleman Edward ha__d__ left the building and Fuckhot Demanding Edward ha__d__ taken over…and I loved every second of it._

Edward unbuttoned his pants, pulled out his cock and began teasing my entrance with it. "Tell me, Isabella, how bad do you want my cock right now?"

"Shit, Edward, more than I want to breathe. Fuck me, Edward. Fuck me hard and fast. Show me I belong to you and you alone."

Edward growled into my neck. "FUCK, Isabella, I love hearing those words come out of your lips. I want you to say it again when I am ramming my dick in you." He reached down and opened the condom he had hidden in his hand then slipped it on before grabbing my legs and lifting me up to slide down on him.

It happened so fast it made my head spin. "Uuuuuuhhhhh, Eddddwaaaard!!"

"Shit, you feel so fucking good, Isabella. I will not go this long without you again. You hear me?" _Did I say I __was__ really loving how demanding Edward__ was being__ right now?_

"Yes, yes, never again, I swear, Edward." I leaned my head forward while grabbing his face between both hands, "Now, Edward, fuck me like your life depends on it. Fuck me hard. Give me another mind-blowing orgasm, Edward."

"Fucking son of a bitch! Shit Isabella, fuck, I'm already…fuuuckkkkk damn hell!" and he squeezed my ass so hard I am sure he left bruises. That sensation along with dirty talking Edward caused me to climax yet again—this time it was so intense I started to black out. _Shit, I almost died of a heartgasm…but that would have been so worth it!_

Edward started rubbing where he had been squeezing. He was still panting and placing small kisses on my neck, he said, "Damn, Isabella, that was so fucking intense. I am so sorry if I hurt you, but fuck, I couldn't control myself. You really are too sexy for your own good." He kissed my cheek and gently kissed my lips before bending to pull up my pants.

Once I could breathe again, I grinned, "Edward, I didn't know there was any other side to you than being a gentleman. That's okay, though, I rather enjoy being cavemaned."

Edward rolled his eyes at me, "Isabella, you can't say that shit to me. You shouldn't encourage my Neanderthal behavior!"

Edward started pulling up his pants and stopped for a second, making a face, then pulled them the rest of the way on. "I need to stop off at the bathroom to dispose of this…" he said motioning to his pants.

I giggled. "That reminds me…how did you just happen to have a condom at the ready? Were you intending to get lucky, Cullen?" I tried to look disapproving at him, but I was too amused so I doubt it came off looking that way.

"Well, I have to say that I didn't intend to get lucky, Isabella, but the last time I was around you I was unable to control myself and I thought it was better to be safe than sorry, just in case. Though I must admit that the condom burning a hole in my pocket is what helped spur me on to bring you back here. I might have waited until much later had I not been prepared." He grinned his cocky little crooked smile.

"Come on, let's get back inside before our friends figure things out." I started pulling him back toward the building.

He stopped me and pulled me to his chest. "Stay with me tonight?" _Shit, how__ could__ I resist? I __was already__ so close to just packing all of my stuff and moving in…wait, what?_

I smiled. "Okay, but I have to work tomorrow, so we can't stay up too late. SHIT! I forgot, I promised Rose and Al we would have our girls' night tonight! Can I come over after? Like around 11?"

We began walking again and he nodded saying, "What exactly do you ladies do on a girls' night?"

"Oh you know, just polishing mirrors, bumping tacos, the normal stuff." I would have laughed, but I didn't have the chance before Edward slammed, yes _SLAMMED_ me against the wall with a look of complete…amazement?

"You shouldn't even joke like that, Isabella. That is not a good image to put in a man's mind. Fuck woman! You are trying to kill me, aren't you?" He passionately kissed me while grabbing my ass and pressing me into his stiff member. _Again? I wonder if it ever actually goes soft…_

I pushed him back slightly. "Edward, I'm not sure if it's medically dangerous to sport wood 24/7, so it might be a good idea if we try to avoid close proximity while we are in public." I chuckled at him and started to open the door.

"Fine, but I make no promises for when we are alone." He smirked and kissed my temple before opening the door the rest of the way.

* * *

We had a great time at the game room, and it was now time to head home. Emmett was exhausted and ready to go to his own couch and 'slum it' as he so enthusiastically called it. Alice and I had plans that involved a certain sexy 31-year-old dark-headed man and a feather…oh and then there were the two other men by the name of Ben and Jerry. Edward and Jasper didn't want the day to be over, but understood our previous plans.

So, we headed to our vehicles and Edward started to open the door for me and I shook my head. "Oh no. I am pretty sure I told you that you had to drive home, Edward. I specifically remember the payback I owe you."

Edward's eyes immediately became lust-filled and I glanced down, and yep, I was being waved at by a body part that I was becoming quite familiar with.

I quickly jumped in the passenger's side door and scooted all the way over to where Edward was now climbing in. He looked down at me hesitantly.

"Get to driving, Eddie boy. I want to see how well you maneuver this truck while your dick is being maneuvered by my mouth." I said grinning devilishly.

He grabbed my face gently, but forcefully, "Do not call me Eddie, or I will have to remove every one of your fingernails slowly and painfully, _Izzy_." _Ugh, how did he know I hated that name?_

"Promise to never call me that again and I will never call you Eddie again." I held up my pinky finger and he looked at it strangely. "You've never done a pinky swear before?" I gave him a look like he had just told me he was really a woman.

He laughed at me, but hooked his pinky with mine and said, "You are so stinking cute, Isabella."

Edward started my truck and put it in gear, following Jasper out onto the highway.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, we pulled into the driveway of my house. Alice was exiting Jasper's car and Edward looked over at me. "You are still coming over tonight, right?" I nodded and he smiled.

We got out of the truck and made our way to Jasper's car so Edward could get a ride home with him. Emmett was grinning wildly and said, "Bella, I must say, Eddie's swerving was by far worse than yours, that must have been some mind-blowing road head you performed."

I blushed and Edward rolled his eyes. "You have no idea, Em, no idea," he said grinning at me. I quickly kissed him goodbye and Alice started shoving me toward the front door. Thus began Alice's confabubabble. _(A/N confabubabble: The act of talking nonsense continuously, originating from the combination of confabulation and babble—yes, that is so Alice *grin*)_

* * *

Alice and I had been sitting on the couch for thirty minutes—all of which time she had been talking animatedly about everything Jasper. I tried to listen, but honestly, I was in my own little Edward-induced haze and already contemplating what was going to happen at his house tonight.

"Did you hear me Bellushi?" Alice whined.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. "I'm sorry Alleyoop. I was just a bit distracted."

Alice grinned a shit-eating grin and said, "I bet. I can't believe you guys and your road antics. Pa-thet-ic! I am happy to see you so wrapped up in a guy, though. It is nice to know your fingers will get a much needed break."

I rolled my eyes. "So, what were you saying anyway, Als?"

"I said, Jasper wants to take me away in a couple weeks to a cabin in Colorado! He is so romantic. I love him so much." She looked like one of those cartoon characters that had hearts in their eyes and batted their eyelashes while cupping their hands by their face and sighing. Yeah, that's Alice for ya.

Suddenly the front door slammed. "'Bout time you bitches came home. Did you have fun with the cock brigade?" _Ok…someone__ was__ on a rampage…_

Alice started to emphatically give a play-by-play of our time out when I gave her a warning glare. Her smile quickly faded and she said, "Oh, it was okay. It would have been more fun if you were there, though."

"Psh, you couldn't pay me to spend time around that douchebag." Rose couldn't fool me. She wanted to be there so bad, but she was trying to avoid Emmett and whatever feelings she was beginning to feel for him.

"Ladies, I believe we have a hot date. I am going to slip on something more comfortable so I can rightly enjoy His Sexiness."

Alice giggled and chirped, "Good idea!" while running toward her room.

I called over my shoulder, "Rose, make sure B & J are in the living room waiting for us."

* * *

"God, what I would give to have an orgasm via feather!" Alice sighed.

"Al, I am pretty sure if Josh breathed on us with or without the feather we would cream as well. Can you imagine being close to that sexafuckalicious man? Fuck, what I wouldn't give…" _I know I was just with Edward and __was __going to be again soon, but one __just __can't ignore The Josh. You just can't._

Rose had been quiet all night, but when I looked at her she had her usual 'Josh-is-a-fuckhot-sexy-man' look on her face like the rest of us as we watched '40 Days and 40 Nights' so I determined it was okay to interrogate her.

"So, Rose…what has been your hangup all night? You have been unusually quiet while in the presence of His Sexiness. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just haven't felt well today. What? Is it a crime to not be all hyper-freak like you two? Can I not just be calm?"

"Aww, you miss him, don't ya, Rose?" Alice said pouting.

Rose made a face like Alice had just told her she was into girls. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

Alice pulled Rose into a hug. "Rosie, it's okay to like Emmett. He is actually a very sweet man."

"Like hell he is! He is a perverted imbecile. He is all brawn and no brain. Besides, I **don't** like him." She trailed off on that last comment.

I patted her knee. "You keep telling yourself that, Rose." I said grinning.

* * *

At around 10:00 Rose said she had to call it a night. We all had to work in the morning, so our girls' night was ending early. After Rose left the room I pulled Alice close to me.

"We need to make a plan, Ali. Rose is completely crushing on Emmett, but she is too headstrong to pursue it. He is totally obsessed with her. We need to hook them up."

Alice and I brainstormed for the next thirty minutes before finally formulating a plan. We had four days to make arrangements.

"Ok, well, I will work on my end, you work on yours. This will work, I just know it," I said, standing up to stretch.

Alice yawned. "Yeah, it will work. G'night Belly." She walked off to her room.

I grabbed my overnight bag and headed to Edward's house.

**Oh, just wanted to share with you guys…last update earned my story a total of 1,350 hits!! My highest before that was 985, so wowee! That is amazing! I love you guys! And I loved all of the reviews! Some made me laugh, some made me blush, but they all made me smile!! I am also glad you guys liked Esme, she was so much fun to write—not as fun as Dick, but….**

**Edward said he will give road fingers to any reviewers. Bella swears it's totally worth it! **


	12. Chapter 12

**I know I sound like a broken record, but I honestly am amazed by how well this story is being received! Each update I get more and more visitors than before! I love each and every review, you guys made me smile and laugh so much with the last one!**

**Thank you AS08 and SBA for being the needle in my thread! Each chapter is better because of you!**

**Oh, also, Edward's vehicle *and the way he drives it* is dedicated to the girls on The_Gazebo. They asked for it!**

**Also, this will be the last chapter where EPOV is just a retelling of BPOV. I just wanted their relationship established from both perspectives. You will still get plenty of Dick, don't worry, just Edward will have different things to tell you from now on ;)**

**SM owns these guys, I own Dick (how funny does that sound?!!! LOL)**

EPOV

Dick and I were not on speaking terms. He was mad at me because I screwed things up with Isabella and his chances of getting lucky had all but withered away.

I was mad at him because he seemed to think being hard 24/7 was an appropriate punishment for me. Ok, so not literally, but it sure as hell seemed like he was hard all the time. Give me a break! All sorts of things would get his attention. A smell. A sound. A song. A fucking taste. I actually started sleeping in my recliner because of the simple fact that the couch and bed both reminded us of one beautiful naked brunette.

So, yeah, the last six days had been pure torture. I enjoyed the texts Isabella and I shared, although each one was followed by tempestuous round of intimacy between Dick and I. These sessions were really getting out of hand. _Literally._ I was getting more forceful with him because he was being so stubborn and he in turn was taking longer and longer to…relieve me of my stress. It was a vicious cycle.

During our texts I grew more and more attracted to Isabella. I was falling for her uncontrollably and I worried daily that she merely wanted us to be friends. She continued to avoid physical contact. I didn't want to harass her, but I was becoming impatient. And nervous.

I found out so many things about her through our written conversations. I missed her voice, but the new information would definitely come in handy for when and if I was finally able to see her again.

Isabella's favorite color was purple. Her favorite flowers were irises. She loved all kinds of animals, but never owned any because her mom had allergies and her dad thought pets were a nuisance. Her favorite food was lasagna, though she admitted she could probably live on chocolate alone.

She loved horror movies. She enjoyed comedies and dramas as well. She admitted to having an unnatural obsession with Josh Hartnett. She was also a huge fan of Heath Ledger and claimed she 'mourned his smile' when he died. When I laughed at that, she replied that his smile was Oscar-worthy and it would be greatly missed. I wrote back that yes, his creepy Joker smile should have won an award. She didn't think that was funny. Once I convinced he I was only teasing, she forgave me. Apparently, one doesn't joke about the late great Heath…..lesson learned.

When I told her my favorite actor was Ryan Reynolds she squealed saying she loved him too. By the way, a squeal via text takes a bit of talent—one she just happens to possess.

I told her my favorite movie was 'It's a Wonderful Life' and she agreed that it was an amazing movie. She watches it every Christmas and always cries. When I slipped and admitted that I cried as well, Dick laughed his ass off at me the whole time calling me a pansy. Then I laughed at him when Isabella told me that she loves a man who admits to crying over a movie. _How do you like me now, Dick?_

We had several lengthy discussions about music. We found that we both appreciated music from the seventies and eighties. She loved Heart—something that made me smile seeing as how I serenaded Heart to her—and she loved Fleetwood Mac right along with me. Journey and Chicago were high on her list as well. When it came to newer music she was a bit pickier. I admitted to liking Fall Out Boy and she laughed saying she only liked 'Thanks For the Memories.' Her all-time favorites of modern music were Linkin Park, Skillet, and Evanescence. We laughed talking about the Beatles' song names and when I told her I liked Elvis, she just groaned.

Isabella loved books as much as I did, but she was more into reading horror and sci-fi than classics. She said she had to read all of the classics in high school and once was enough to last a lifetime—except for Romeo and Juliet because, "a girl who doesn't like Romeo and Juliet should be a nun." This really made me laugh, hard. _Who was this girl?_

I told her I loved word searches and Scrabble and she said she thought of me as more of a crossword puzzle kind of guy. I told her my vocabulary was for shit and she wrote back that she was shocked that we had so much in common. She admitted to me that she had never finished a crossword puzzle in her life without someone's help. _I love this woman_.

We talked about what we had wanted to be when we grew up and she told me she had wanted to do something in computers, preferably programming, but then her aunt got very sick. This was the reason that she and her cousin decided to go into medicine.

I asked her what she was afraid of and she told me nothing except losing someone she loved. When I told her I was afraid of spiders she wrote 'lol' so many times I think she wore out the L button on her phone. When she finally wrote again she told me it was hilarious that I could brave these huge scary fires to save people but an 'itty bitty eight-legged creature could bring me to my knees.' That statement brought on a discussion of exactly what, or rather _who_, could bring me to my knees. The discussion got wonderfully graphic—which caused a rather prolonged strenuous wrestling match between Dick and I when I finished texting Isabella (well, okay, maybe a little before I actually finished texting).

On one occasion, we discussed masturbation. I don't know why I allowed the conversation to go in that direction…I knew better. I jokingly asked her how often she touched herself and when she confessed to the frequency, Dick, who had been twiddling his thumbs, snapped his head up and said, "HOLY FUCKING SHIT! She's a horny motherfucker!" I found myself trying to shut him up by wrapping my fingers around him and stroking quite aggressively. Both of us were yelling when I finally splooged all over my fucking cell phone that I still had in my other hand. _Great Cullen, looks like this is becoming a habit! I blame Dick – it's all his fault!_

Realizing how long I had been away, I cleaned up myself and my stupid phone and then noticed that Isabella had texted me a few times asking me where I went. _Great, how __to__ not be Captain Obvious?_

I tried really hard to convince her that I was not doing exactly what I _was in fact_ doing but she wouldn't believe me. She ended up telling me it was pretty fucking hot when a guy brings himself pleasure by thinking about a girl, a specific girl, bringing herself pleasure. This caused Dick to stand straight the fuck up again. _Fucker, do you ever get enough?_

So here I sit today holding my phone, waiting for Isabella to respond to a pretty pathetic plea of desperation I sent. Well, I actually sent a few of them. Dick was calling me a pussy-whipped motherfucking asswipe when I told him that **he** was the one who turned rock-hard at just the mention of said pussy that I'm supposedly whipped by. He hung his head in shame mumbling how sweet it was and he missed it. Poor guy, I would have to _comfort_ him later…

Twelve excruciatingly long minutes later she texted me, asking what I was doing today.

Dick and I both stood up and did the Cha Cha Slide.

I responded by telling her about our plans to take Em to Gameworks to celebrate his release from hell. She agreed to go and was going to ask the girls if they wanted to go as well. I already knew Alice would come—Jasper made it clear that the only time they were apart was when they were working or sleeping—but I didn't know about Rose. Though Emmett was still head over heels for her, it seemed she had yet to even be sociable with him. I told him that his vulgarity had finally caught up with him but Emmett being Emmett, he was still sure that she was playing hard to get.

I took a quick shower, during which Dick and I made amends with each other, promising never to let a woman come between us again. _Yeah, like that __was__ gonna last_.

* * *

I grabbed my leather jacket and rushed out the door to head to Jasper's house. I pulled up to see Jasper sitting on his porch shaking his head.

"Hey Smokey, it's bad enough that you drive around in that thing, but do you _have_ to blare Whitesnake, too?"

Jasper would never let me live down my choice of vehicle. He drove a cherry red '69 Mustang Boss 302, and though I thoroughly admired his mode of transport, I drove a black '76 T-top Trans Am 455—complete with the gold firebird on the hood and leather interior. I always had the top off and always had Whitesnake in the tape player. Yeah, dice hanging from the mirror may be a bit much, but if you're gonna recapture an era you should go all the way, right? Besides, the real reason I owned it is because it was the last car my Grandpa drove, so Jasper can kiss my ass.

"Well, I'm not riding in that piece of shit, so we can just take my car." I just rolled my eyes and slid into the front seat.

* * *

"'Bout time you got here. I am starving! They don't serve enough food here to feed a gerbil. Let's blow this popsicle stand." Emmett was standing with his arms crossed—the bandaged one carefully laid on top—and his right knee bent tapping his foot like a sorority girl when we walked into his room.

"Alright Em. We are taking you to Gameworks to celebrate your parole. You up for some healthy competition?" I said, throwing a gum wrapper at his eye.

Emmett dodged the wrapper and said, "Hells yeah! You may beat me in checkers, but dude, when it comes to air hockey, you don't stand a chance! I rule!"

Jasper mumbled, "That's because even braindead people can win at air hockey." I laughed when Emmett punched him in the arm causing him to stumble back three feet.

"Oh, I probably should warn you, we are going to have company today."

Both of them shot a surprised glance at me. "Company?" Jasper asked.

"Well, I kind of invited Isabella and she is asking Rose and Alice to join as well." I said sheepishly.

Emmett's face lit up like a Christmas tree at the mention of Rose. "Shit, are you serious, dude? This day just gets better and better."

Jasper just nodded with a small smirk playing on his lips.

As we headed towards the hospital exit, I saw that spikey-haired monchichi come running toward Jasper and before he even had the door fully opened she was in his arms wrapped around his waist sucking face.

"Now that's a welcome there," I whispered to Emmett.

I looked past the disturbing display of PDA in front of me and found Utopia. Those gorgeous russet colored eyes were staring right at me. I was completely frozen. Dick was trying to push me towards her, but I was so entranced that every _other_ muscle was incapable of moving. I couldn't even make my eyes blink. We both just stood there motionless, eyes boring into each others' soul.

Emmett boomed a "Hallelujah!" which finally broke my reverie. I couldn't keep the grin from taking over my face and I noticed Isabella smiling right back at me. I rushed over to her door, opened it and pulled her into my arms.

I begged her to never make me go that long without seeing her again and I kissed her like there was no tomorrow. I had my hands in her hair and moved them to her neck and then her shoulders. When I reached her waist I noticed I had reached the end of material and now had my hands on bare skin. Shocked, I pulled back, "Shit, what are you wearing?" Dick was convinced that bare skin meant fucking so he was trying to climb out of my pants.

I pulled her close and whispered in her ear how very inappropriate the outfit was. Sure Dick and I liked it very, very much, but so would any other warm-blooded man within a five-mile radius. I don't know what came over me, but I pulled her hand down and placed it on my cock and gruffly said, "Do you feel that? Every guy in that place is going to want to fuck you, Isabella, just like I do right now. I can't have all of those men ogling what is mine." _The hell, Cullen? Awfully possessive of something that doesn't even belong to you…yet._

I pushed into her and kissed her with no abandon. Isabella began moaning and Dick was convinced we were getting pussy right then and there in the parking lot.

Emmett shouted something, but Dick and I could only hear Isabella breathing erratically. She started to pull away, but I pushed even harder against her, filling her mouth with all of my tongue and moving my hands over every inch of her body.

Lucky for me, but not so lucky for Dick, Gidget pushed us apart saying, "Guys! Do you want to go to jail for indecent exposure? Jiminy Cricket, chill out!"

Isabella licked her lips and said, "This coming from the Oompa Loompa who was just all up on Jasper's junk two minutes ago." I laughed and shook my head. Dick was giving Alice the finger.

Alice was saying something about dry humping and the bedroom, which caused Dick to get even more excited, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the patch of bare skin on Isabella's waist. I had to lick my lips to keep from drooling—unfortunately Dick had already drooled in my boxers, _fucker_.

Isabella asked if I wanted to ride with her. _Fuck yeah, I want to ride with you…all night long…_

I swallowed, trying to get my bearings, _yeah, like that's gonna work_. I started inching towards her—_Fuck my bearings!_

She started backing up with her hands in the air, "No, no! I have enough spazzle in my panties to fill the Grand Canyon. You better back up mister. We need to get going."

I suddenly got a wicked idea for the ride, so I gave Isabella my most evil grin and climbed in her truck.

* * *

We had been on the highway for about thirty seconds when I slid closer to Isabella and started kissing her neck. She tried to warn me to keep my lips to myself, but I had a plan already in motion.

Still kissing her neck, I reached over and started unbuttoning her jeans. With the speed of a vampire I had my fingers inside of her soaking wet center. Dick was doing cartwheels and chanting some weird cheer.

"Edward! FUCK!" She tried to grab my hand to pull it out, but I wouldn't have any of that.

I sucked on her earlobe and said, "Fuck, Isabella, I love having your pussy juice all over my fingers. Cum for me, baby, so I can lick it all off." Dick was singing, "Cum my lady, cum, cum my lady," causing me to mentally roll my eyes.

She started swerving, so I grabbed the steering wheel with my other hand while continuing to bring her to orgasm.

Isabella screamed, "Fucking son of a bean dipped mother frito!!" _The fuck?_

I shoved my face in her neck laughing. She pulled back looking at me oddly and said, "Wha?" still breathing hard.

I pulled my hand out of her pants and started sucking off every drop of Isabella while looking at her out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't stop the moan that escaped from me, because she tasted so fucking good. "What in the hell was that you said about a mother frito?" I said, laughing again.

She blushed and called me that fucking girly name again while telling me I was driving home tonight and wiggling her eyebrows. Dick perked up and started repeating, "Road head, road head!"

* * *

We pulled up at Gameworks and I immediately felt bad for Isabella. Emmet was running up to her door with a huge ass grin on his face and I just knew he knew what had happened.

"OH MY GOD, Edward!! You totally gave her road fingers, didn't you? I saw her swerving all over the road! Fuck, Sweetcheeks, how was it?"

She totally surprised me by slapping him—TWICE! I thought she was pissed when she started walking away until she looked over her shoulder and said, "It was alright, but just watch the swerving on the way home tonight." And she walked slowly, hips swaying, toward the door. Dick was drooling again.

"Duuuude! You fucking lucky ass dawg! She is a spitfire, I think I love her…eh, for _you_ that is." Emmett was laughing and giving me a damn noogie as we started walking toward the door following her.

* * *

Our server came as soon as we sat down but I was totally entranced by Isabella sitting beside me that I didn't even notice. Everyone started ordering their drinks and I just blurted out the first drink I could think of, and when Isabella ordered a Wallbanger my eyes popped out of my head. Emmett snorted a chuckle.

After some conversation and eating, Isabella challenged Alice to a game of DDR.

I stayed at the table and just watched the glorious sight of Isabella dancing.

"Dude, I wish Rose would have come, too." Emmett was a little upset, but nothing could keep that boy down in the dumps. He was the most cheerful person I knew.

"I'm sorry, man. I had no idea she wouldn't come."

"S'alright. Alice told me that Rose is in denial. She said for me to be patient because she will come around if I'm just persistent. And we all know I can be persistent." He laughed.

"Too persistent, Em. You need to learn some southern charm. The ladies love a man who is calm and collected." Jasper drawled with his unmistakable accent.

I laughed, stood up and said, "Come on guys, let's go play some manly air hockey."

* * *

We played two games of air hockey but I didn't even come close to winning any of them. Isabella had my full attention.

"I'll be back, guys." I saw Isabella walking toward a pinball machine and I wanted to mess with her a bit.

I watched her play for nearly a minute, her hips would jerk from side to side when she pushed the buttons for the flippers. Each jerk caused Dick to inch closer and closer to her ass.

Finally, Dick pressed himself against her and I whispered in a disguised voice, "You sure look sexy, little lady."

"I told you to wait until later, I'm here with someone and if he sees you rubbing all up on my ass he is gonna start some crap." _No she didn't!_

I grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, "What?! Who are you talk—" She grinned from ear to ear so I replied, "You will pay for that Isabella. That was not very nice."

She then told me that I couldn't disguise my voice and then, _Lord, help me_, she said, "The replaying of that voice was the cause of many orgasms over the past week, there is not hiding it from me."

I warned her to watch herself and, much to Dick's delight, she grabbed my raging hard-on, squeezing it a few times, while saying, "Or what, Edward?"

_Fuck it, I will show you what._

Dick was rubbing his hands together—you know that little gesture you make when you are getting ready to see or get something really good? Yeah, he knew what he was getting ready to get.

I pulled her behind me while heading to the back of the building. She kept protesting, but I didn't allow it. I couldn't help myself. I was turning into an animal.

We made it into a patch of woods in the back and once I was sure we were out of sight of any onlookers, I grabbed her and pushed her up against a tree and started kissing all over he neck. "I warned you Isabella. You didn't listen, now you are in trouble."

I was kissing and groping everything I possibly could. I didn't even give her the opportunity to object before I had my hands up her shirt and her bra unsnapped. I quickly dipped my head to lick her nipple and pinched the other one between my fingers. Dick was already picking out mood music—Nine Inch Nails' 'Closer'—not even the least bit romantic, _fucker._

"Uhhh, Edward. We can't…anyone can see us…you have—"

I mumbled to her how she was literally fucked or at least about to be and began unbuttoning her pants.

I lowered myself to remove her bottoms and came face to face with her sweet, still gloriously bare—_duh, it has only been six days, of course it is still bare_—pussy. Yeah, I couldn't pass that up without tasting it. I maneuvered my tongue all over her until she climaxed and then I stood up and said, "Now, Isabella, I am going to bury my cock in your pussy and fuck you until you promise not to disobey me again." _Holy fuck, Dick had just taken over every brain cell I had and started demanding shit left and right! I had no authority over __anything coming out of my mouth__._

Dick had control of my hands as well, because next thing I know I was teasing her with my cock and asking her how bad she wanted it right then. _Fucking hell,__ I've__ got to take back control of my mental capacity._

Thank God Isabella wasn't put off by my directness. Hell, she started begging me to fuck her—hard and fast at that! Dick was writing thank you letters to her parents for creating such a 'fuckawesome sex kitten.'

When she said she wanted me to show here that she belongs to me alone, I literally growled, "FUCK, Isabella, I love to hear those words come out of your lips. I want you to say it again when I am ramming my dick in you."

Thanks to Emmett and his teaching of "Condom: Never Leave Home Without It," I had one in my back pocket at all times, though never before Isabella had I ever actually needed one without prior notice.

I slipped it on, grabbed her legs and slid straight into her. Choirs of angels surrounded me singing with Dick orchestrating.

She screamed out my name and again I spat out demands. "Shit, you feel so fucking good, Isabella. I will not go this long without you again. You hear me?" I was already so close to release.

Isabella grabbed my face and said, "Now, Edward, fuck me like your life depends on it. Fuck me hard. Give me another mind-blowing orgasm, Edward." This time I screamed out her name with several profanities and squeezed the shit out of her ass. I was afraid I left bruises, but I couldn't even concentrate on that because watching Isabella orgasm was so incredible that it was all I could focus on.

Once she was past climax, I started rubbing where I had squeezed her. I was kissing her neck and said, "Damn, Isabella, that was so fucking intense. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but fuck, I couldn't control myself. You are too sexy for your own good." _Yeah, that's it. Admit to her that you couldn't stop yourself, now she is going to think you are some kind of__ animal__, you fucking moron._

I helped her pull up her pants and she grinned, "Edward, I didn't know there was any other side to you than being a gentleman. That's okay, though, I rather enjoy being cavemanned."

I told her she shouldn't be encouraging my Neanderthal behavior. I mean, fuck, Dick was already picking out loincloths and searching for a club.

When I mentioned that I needed to stop at the restroom to trash the raincoat, she asked me how I happened to have one and was I intending to get lucky. They say honesty is the best policy, so unleashed the worst case of word vomit explaining how it was better to be safe than sorry around her and that the condom actually _caused_ my man-handling of her. I gave her my crooked smile that I used when I tried to get myself out of trouble.

She started pulling me back toward the door, when I stopped and brought her to my chest and begged her to stay with me for the night.

When she agreed I did a mental happy dance until she said she had a night planned with the girls. She quickly assured me she could come over after if I wanted her to.

I nodded as we began walking again. "What exactly do you ladies do on a girls' night?"

She made fucking derogatory lesbian references, to which Dick grew twice his normal size in excitement. _The fuck, dude? Take a chill pill for once!_

I pinned her to the wall, a bit too roughly, in fact and said, "You shouldn't even joke like that, Isabella. That is not a good image to put in a man's mind. Fuck woman! You are trying to kill me, aren't you?" I kissed her with fervor, grabbing her ass and inadvertently pulling her right into Dionysus himself.

She pushed me back a bit, "Edward, I'm not sure if it's medically dangerous to sport wood 24/7, so it might be a good idea if we try to avoid close proximity while we are in public." _I have wondered the same thing myself…_

* * *

Our time was coming to an end as we headed to her truck. I tried to open the door for her when she shook her head and reminded me of the payback I had coming to me. Dick then jumped up, dusted off his pants, straightened his shirt collar and said, "Fuck it," and stretched out with his arms crossed behind his head.

Isabella glanced down and noticed Dick, to which he grinned and wiggled his fingers at her.

She jumped in the passenger's side door and I climbed in the driver's side noticing she was already at my side. I was not at all sure about how capable my driving would be with her manipulating my sex muscle.

"Get to driving, Eddie boy. I want to see how well you maneuver this truck while your dick is being maneuvered by my mouth." _Holy fucking mother of God._

I grabbed her face and threatened her for calling me Eddie—_God I hate that name so fucking bad!_

Apparently she hated the name Izzy as well because she promised to never call me Eddie if I never called her Izzy. Then she held up her tiny little pinky finger and waited for me to do something. I just looked at her curiously.

"You've never done a pinky swear before?" She looked at me like I was a transvestite or some shit.

I laughed at her, hooked our pinkies together and told her how stinking cute she was.

I didn't even have her truck in gear before she was already stroking my cock. "Fuck, Isabella, can't you give me time to prepare myself?"

"Oh, like you gave _me_ time when I was driving? Sorry, Eduardo, you are, as you said to me earlier, quite fucked." And she freaking laughed at me…while squeezing and licking my dick…and blowing warm air on the moist areas. I started to let my eyes roll in the back of my head when I remembered I was driving. _Fucking shit fuck hell damn fuckity shit. We are going to die._

Isabella tortured me for twenty of the thirty minutes it took to drive back to her house. Yes, torture is the correct word here, and let me tell you why.

Isabella would lick, suck and squeeze and bring me to the very edge of orgasm and then stop and just fucking blow on my cock until I was almost calmed down when she would start the whole cycle over again. When I would growl at her she would laugh and tell me Payback was a bitch. Yes, yes she was. A fucking cunt is more like it.

_Finally,_ we were in a small neighborhood and she didn't pull away when I reached climax. I can only hope to God nobody was sitting out on their porches watching me throw my head back and scream Isabella's name followed by some extremely vulgar phrases.

Once I was finished, she licked her lips, zipped me back up and whispered in my ear, "From now on, you get to drive because that was fucktacular."

I grabbed her cheek with one hand, "The end result was amazing—beyond amazing—but I can't handle a twenty minute stop and go session of your fantastic mouth on my cock, Isabella. That was just too much." She giggled and hmmm'd then kissed me on the cheek.

* * *

I pulled into her driveway and made sure she was still coming over before I got out of the truck. When we reached Jasper's car Emmett made comments about my driving abilities. Emmett is more than likely always going to try to embarrass this poor woman and I wasn't surprised when he asked if she had performed mind-blowing road head.

I rolled my eyes, "You have no idea, Em, no idea," and I grinned at her. She quickly kissed me goodbye when Alice grabbed her and started shoving her toward the front door.

I laughed, shaking my head, and hopped in the back seat of Jasper's car.

Jazz pulled away and Emmett immediately started. "So dudes, I need to get Rosie to give me the time of day. I know she wants to ride my meat train, but I just can't understand why she is avoiding me."

"Do you think it might be _possible_ that she cannot stomach your atrocious mannerisms, brother?" Jasper slowly asked.

"Nah, dude, you should see how she is around me. She wants me, man. I mean, she really freaking wants me bad. And, besides, I can't have all of that southern charm you possess, Jazz."

We continued to talk all the way to Em's house trying to help him plan his pursuit of Rosalie. I am not sure we were any closer to a solution when we reached his house, but he felt more confident, so that was a plus.

* * *

Jasper and I had a very short conversation about the two ladies who had taken up residency in our lives as of late. We didn't have to say much—we both knew the other as well as we knew ourselves. We really did want to help Em, though, because the three of us as couples would probably have one hell of a time together. And I am not sure either of us would be comfortable having outings without including Emmett.

We were at Jasper's house when we decided to concoct a plan for Emmett and run it by each other the following day.

I hopped in my car, I had a lot to do before Isabella came over. I didn't want this night to be rushed, and I wanted it perfect.

* * *

I had stopped at gotten several arrangements of flowers, each of them were purple bouquets with the centerpiece being an iris. I also picked up purple candles and yes, pathetic as I am, I also bought some purple satin sheets for my bed. We won't tell Isabella that I just bought them. _Note to self: Tell Mom__ that__ she gave me her sheet set in case Isabella ever asks…_

I ordered two lasagnas and two slices of Black Tie Mousse Cake from Olive Garden, and then headed home.

* * *

I set up a playlist on my iPod consisting of Heart, Chicago, Journey, and Fleetwood Mac. I wanted to make sure she knew that I had paid attention to every small detail over the past week.

Everything was set up and I stood back pretty impressed with myself. _Mom would be so proud._

At exactly 10:55 my doorbell rang. I opened the door to a stunning Isabella standing with one hip jutted out and I just wanted to ravage her. I was able to control myself, because I made a promise to Dick that if he couldn't control himself until after dinner not only was he _not_ going to get laid tonight, but I would stick him in Emmett's ass tomorrow at work. Yeah, it may have been an empty promise, but luckily Dick is missing quite a few brain cells so he believed me.

* * *

Isabella was thoroughly impressed with everything I did for her. She loved the flowers and the food—luckily she hadn't eaten a real dinner with the girls. She commented on the song choices and when we headed to my room for the night she gasped at the bed.

"Edward! Purple sheets? You went out and bought purple sheets just for me?"

"Don't flatter yourself, my dear Isabella. My mother gave me these sheets a long time ago. I have had these for ages."

She grinned at me slyly. "Oh really? So, how did you manage to wash them with the tag still intact?" _Fuck, Cullen, you are an idiot._

"This is the first time I put them on my bed?" Well, it came out like a question, so there went that stupid story.

She smiled, stalked closer, cupped my cheeks with both hands, and said, "Edward, I can't believe how much you remembered from our conversations this past week. This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me, ever. You gave me a little bit of all of my favorite things and I appreciate that so much. Now, come on, let me show you how much I appreciate it."

_Ok, Dick, you can come out to play now…_

**Please make my day and click that little button to review. Edward will let you come and play on the purple satin sheets with him!**


	13. Chapter 13

**HOLY CRACKPIPE BATMAN! It's an update!!!**

**~*~*~*~*~HUGE A/N! I apologize in advance!~*~*~*~*~**

**First of all, I am so sorry for the epic fail on my part with my update. My laptop fried the day after I posted chapter 12. Thank all that is holy and good that I had sent chapter 13 and 14 to my betas already because I lost everything!! So I am back, and hopefully this chapter makes up for your wait. That being said…**

**I don't think I have one chapter that is safe for work, but this one…well, it needs a ginormous warning, so here:**

**NSFW NSFW NSFW NSFW NSFW NSFW NSFW NSFW NSFW NSFW NSFW!!!!!**

**As usual, I would like to thank my wonderful betas, SBA and AS03. They are ****literally**** my backup harddrive.**

**I do not own these fools. I do, however, own the image that you will want to remove from your brain after reading…unless of course you are into that sort of thing… Mwahahaha!**

**Oh, and one more thing. Before today is over, I plan to have links to songs and places referenced in this story listed in my profile including APP, which I totally want to go to Seattle for now!!**

**Moving right along…**

BPOV

Alice, Rosalie, and I thoroughly enjoyed our girls' nights at home. We loved the lounging around, watching our Mr. Hottie movies and eating B & J, and we always made sure to have at least two of these nights a month. What we loved way more than our girls' nights at home was to spend the day together at the Adventure Paintball Park. Unfortunately with our schedules, we only managed to get to the Paintball Park one time each month at the very most. It had been a while since our last visit so Alice and I had come up with a brilliant plan on getting Rose together with Emmett, and it all started there.

With the help of Jasper and Edward, we planned on going to the park Friday evening and spending the night. The girls and I had wanted to do this since we found out they offered overnight camping. We had never got around to it though with just the three of us, so we decided that this would be perfect. Now we just needed to figure out how to keep Rose in the dark until the very last minute.

* * *

Over the last few days Edward and I had talked on the phone and texted each other like a couple of crazy high school kids. It was so much fun and several times I laughed so hard I cried. Edward was everything I could ever want in a man. He was smart, funny, caring, thoughtful, and for fuck's sake, he was a damn sexy firefighter! What more could I ask for? I missed him terribly, but he was at the station for the next three days so we couldn't see each other.

During one of our lengthy conversations, he had been telling me about a paintball experience with Emmett and Jazz. When I told him that we had many experiences as well—going into detail with a few—he had suggested our outing this Friday.

So Tuesday morning Alice and I decided it was time to lay the groundwork.

"Well good morning Rosie cheeks!" Alice beamed. "So I was thinking…this weekend Jazzy has to go away on a firefighter conference and I need to do something to keep my mind off of him. So, I called up APP and reserved us a camping night! What do you say?"

_Oh she's good…firefighter conference, I never thought of that!_

"Oh, that sounds great, Al. Edward has to go as well. Now I won't be so bored." I said to her.

We both looked questioningly at Rose. She looked between the two of us like she knew something was up.

Rosalie sighed, "Fine, it's not like I have anyone…I mean anything better to do."

Alice snickered. "Great! I already paid the deposit, so we are good to go!"

* * *

For the next three days it was really hard to keep Alice from spilling the beans. She was so freaking excited. I have to admit I was quite excited as well. Camping with Edward sounded very…promising. _Yeah, promising for some sexy times…_

I spoke to Edward several times over the course of the next three days and he let me know that they were just as excited on his end. Emmett had made these huge plans to sweep Rose off of her feet. He had even asked my advice on several different things and I had quite a bit of confidence that he actually might succeed with his plan to woo her. Apparently though, he was driving Edward and Jasper crazy.

"You don't understand! It's like having a teenage girl over here. Isabella…he asked me how to tell a woman she was pretty! What kind of 27-year-old man doesn't know how to tell a woman she is pretty? Wait, don't answer that… this is Emmett we're talking about. This is the guy who asks a girl, 'You got two nipples for a dime?' Yeah, I can see why he doesn't know how to compliment a woman," Edward whined to me on Thursday night.

I was laughing so hard that Rose came into the kitchen to see what was going on.

"What's so funny, there Belfast?" She asked as she quirked an eyebrow at me.

I tried to stifle my laughter, but thinking about Emmett and his juvenile pick-up lines was just too much. I decided that I needed to tell a tiny white lie. "Emmett tried to ask a girl out by saying, 'You got two nipples for a dime?' and she slapped him!"

The next thing I saw freaked me the fuck out! Rose's nostrils flared, her eyes looked like the devil and she shuddered! She freaking shuddered!

"…Rose? Eh, you okay there? What's with you?"

She shook her head as if to wipe her thoughts from her mind. "Well, it serves him right, the stupid ass. What kind of an imbecile thinks that a pick-up line like that would work?" As she finished her sentence, she stormed off to her bedroom, locking the door.

"Everything okay over there? What's up Isabella?" I heard Edward asking in the background.

"I think Linda Blair just found her match…" I trailed off. _What the fuck just happened? That was some freaky Exorcist shit right there._

"Um…care to explain?" Edward laughed.

"It's just the look that Rose just gave me after I told her Emmett used that line…well, that look would have sent Satan to his knees. She looked like she was possessed! I'm telling you now, that look will give me nightmares, Edward! It was fucking scary!"

Edward laughed. "Well, it sounds to me like tomorrow is going to be seriously interesting, don't you think?"

I had just finished cleaning up the kitchen and was walking toward my bedroom. I waved goodnight to Alice and she grinned wickedly to me. Wicked little spazzcake—she scared me the way she always seemed to be able to read my mind. I just stuck my tongue out at her and she threw her head back laughing. "Have fuuuun guys!"

I locked my bedroom door and flopped down on my bed.

"So, what are you doing right now, Gigi?" I giggled.

"Isabella…you seem to be asking for punishment. I've warned you about calling me that." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"Only if you are the one implementing the punishments, my dear Edward." I replied as I started to undress. I had my silk gown laid out, but I wasn't putting it on quite yet. _Play along with me, Edward…please._

"Oh, I would love to punish you, dearest Isabella. Would you like to know what I have in mind? Or should I keep it a secret…they say punishment is more effective if you have to sweat it out waiting."

I was ready to play now. "Edward…tell me…are you alone?" I whispered in my most seductive voice, trying to let him know exactly what I was implying.

"As a matter of fact, Isabella, I am very much alone right now. Just wishing your hands were here to keep me company. Maybe you can help me out with that? What do you say?" I heard his clothing rustling in the background. _YES! __That's__ what I was hoping for, honey._

I laid back on my bed and started pinching my nipples, causing a moan to escape. "Yes, Edward, let me touch you. Imagine that my hands are on your chest right now because yours are already on mine, pinching my nipples and it feels so good. Edward…." I moaned again.

"God, Isabella. Yes, baby. My hands are trailing down to your waist. Your perfect little waist. I'm taking my time feeling every part of your skin and I just stopped to touch the cute little tattoo on your hip. Oh baby, your hands feel so good all over my chest, so fucking soft."

God, I was already so wet. This wasn't going to take long at all. "Edward, I am so fucking wet right now. Touch my pussy Edward, touch it! I need to feel your long perfect fingers inside of me. Edward, oh God, yes! Just like that, baby." I was rubbing myself the way, unfortunately, I knew how to do all too well. I could hear Edward breathing hard on the other end.

"I'm there baby, you feel so incredible. Doesn't that feel good? Your hands are wrapped around my cock right now and they feel so amazing. Isabella, your hands are so fucking soft and my cock is twitching in your palm right now, can't you feel how much I want you? Fuck, Isabella. I'm already so close." _Yeah, me too, me too…fuck!_

"Shit, Edward, I'm almost there! Fuck! Your fingers fucking me are phenomenal. Yes, oh my God. Edward, I'm gonna cum! Fuuuuck, Edward!"

At the same time I heard Edward moaning. I heard muffling sounds on the phone. "Shit! Fuck, Isabella! Oh God, that's it, baby! Son of a bitch!!" Evidently he dropped the phone because his voice seemed farther away than it had just a second ago.

"Shit, sorry, I dropped the phone. That was fucking amazing, Isabella. It was nearly as good as you actually being here…nearly" He was chuckling.

I was still breathing hard, "Edward that was so much fucking better than what I've been doing on my own when you're not here. Fuck, we need to do that more often." I grinned.

"Yeah, we sure do, but Isabella? Tomorrow, I get the real flesh-and-blood you and I don't plan on getting any sleep, so you better get plenty of rest tonight little lady." _Fuck me, I was getting wet again!_ Stupid vagina doesn't know the meaning of the word dry anymore…

"Well, Edward, you better rest up, because my stamina is record-breaking, honey."

Edward laughed, "Well, we'll see, Isabella. Don't forget we will be spending 3 hours on the paintball field before we can be alone."

We bid each other a goodnight shortly after that and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

* * *

Friday morning Alice woke us up early blaring Miley Cyrus. _Fucking Miley Cyrus? Really?_

Don't call me, leave me alone

Not gonna answer my phone

'Cuz I don't, no I won't see you

I walked into the living room and Alice was literally going spazzymental on the couch! She was clapping her hands, doing karate kicks, and then I watched her stand on the back of the couch and jump off landing in the splits on the floor! _What in the hell?_

I'm out to have a good time

To get you off of my mind

'Cuz I don't, and I won't need you

When the next line said, "Send out a 911" I busted out laughing because I was thinking that I just might have to call 911 if Alice didn't chill out soon.

"Fucking Miley, Alice? Really?"

"Hey, this song is perfect for tonight _'Cuz it's a girls' night…it's alright without you…I'm gonna stay out and play without you_"

I grinned because seriously, she managed to fit the words of the song right into her sentence! That takes a talent that only Alice possesses. _What the hell, if you can't beat them…_

Half asleep and still in my silky nightgown, I danced right into the living room and started bumping and grinding to fucking Miley Cyrus with Alice. She stood on the table and I bounced from the couch to the loveseat and we were just having a blast…until Satan walked in.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU SLUTBAGS???" She screamed… and I mean a scream that would win an award in a horror flick kinda scream.

I stopped dancing, but Alice kept dancing, grinning, and walked over to Lucifer—that sure takes a lot of nerve right there—and grabbed her hands and started dancing! My eyes bugged out of my head and my mouth dropped to the floor.

You better hold tight

'Cuz girls' night's without you

Let's go…GNO, let's go…GNO

Let's go…GNO, let's go

It's a girls' night

The song ended and I finally chanced a glance at the two of them afraid that I was going to see a pile of ashes in front of the demon known as Rose. I didn't, though. What I saw was a sight that will probably never be seen again for as long as I shall live. Alice was on Rose's back and Rose was dancing! With Alice! On her back! And smiling! What the fuck?

I shook my head and just walked into the kitchen to start breakfast. I wasn't about to interrupt their intimate moment of camaraderie.

* * *

We had a huge breakfast, cleaned the kitchen and went to our own rooms to pack our stuff. After everything was packed, we spent the rest of the day cleaning the house—singing and dancing the whole time—only stopping to eat lunch.

Finally, it was time to head out. I was actually starting to get nervous about how Rose was going to react to seeing Emmett. Alice and I had decided that it would be best to get there before the guys so that our stuff was already secured in our spot and Rose might be less likely to make us pull up stakes and take her back home.

* * *

We arrived at the park at 5:30. The boys were due to arrive at 6:00 so that we had enough time to get all of our gear set up. We were almost finished when I heard Emmett's big mouth. I froze. _Shit, I know she had to hear that…you can't miss that big idiot._

I glanced over at Rose and even though she had her back to me I could see her stiffen and cock her head to the side like she was listening. I gave Alice an apprehensive look and she just grinned and waved her hand like it was nothing we had to worry about.

The guys came into view and I couldn't help but grin when I saw my emerald heaven. He was grinning back at me. But I couldn't see Emmett because he was holding a freaking teddy bear the size of Texas and a basket that was nearly as big that looked like it was filled with…oh my God, he didn't? _Yes, yes he did…Rose is done for! This is going to be so much fun!_

Rose turned around and she was livid…for about two seconds. And then I literally saw the Ice Queen melt. _Are those tears in her eyes?_

Emmett walked up to Rose and handed her the teddy bear. "I know I was a bear to you, Rosie. I was disrespectful to you and it was unacceptable. I want to apologize. I thought you could take all of your anger toward me out on this big bear here and it might make you feel better."

Alice looked over at me and mouthed, "Awwww! Oh my God, how sweet!"

Edward, who had come up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, whispered in my ear, "I didn't come bearing gifts, I just brought myself, I hope you don't mind." He kissed my neck and rubbed my hips making me groan before I could stop myself.

"There is only one thing you could have brought that would make my night perfect," I said reaching around and cupping his…_What a surprise, already hard, huh?_

"Ah ah, Isabella. We'll get there soon enough. First we need to be sociable." He said while pulling his hips back so I couldn't reach him anymore. _Tease!_

I peeked over at Rose and Emmett to see that Rose was walking away from him while Emmett's head was hanging down like a child being punished. _Huh?_

"I'll be right back, I need to see what happened." I patted Edward's hands and pulled away from him.

I walked toward Rose, "Rose, what's wrong?" She was crying. I immediately was worried. Rose doesn't cry.

"Why did you guys do this to me? You knew I wouldn't come if I knew he would be here! Why would you do that to me, Belly? Why?" She grabbed me and hugged me hard. Alice had come up and joined us.

"Rosie, he is perfect for you. You guys are meant to be together. Don't push him away, hon." Alice begged her.

"I can't be with someone who makes me lose control, Ally. My whole life is dependent on my control. I can't lose it. Don't you understand?"

We talked to Rose for a few minutes and tried to convince her that this was the one time when losing control was okay. I mean, she hadn't even gone out with him yet. All she did was play a little tongue tag, which was something she had been known to do before, so it's not like it was a huge deal. If ever there was a guy who could tame the beast it was Emmett. He made her smile and flustered her for the first time in her life. And, he seemed to need a little bit of dominance in his life with the way he treated women. Rose was just the person to do that. They were perfect for each other. I don't think we convinced her, but at least we managed to get her to agree to continue with our plans for the night. She didn't want the guilt over us having to give up our plans for the weekend.

* * *

Our paintball session was supposed to start at seven, so we used this time to help the boys get their stuff set up and then made sure everything was completely ready. I looked over at Emmett sympathetically and he just shook his head, heartbroken. I walked over to him and said, "Don't worry, Em, she'll come around, I promise. She doesn't hate you, she is just worried about falling in love and she really thinks she could fall for you. Just keep your head up, I swear, just give her time." I winked at him.

He pulled me into a big bear hug and whispered, "Thanks Sweetcheeks. I really think I could fall in love with her – I don't know where this is coming from, but can I feel it already. I will do anything I can to convince her to give me a chance and get her to love me back."

He let me go and I told him that his basket was a great start, he was going to have her wrapped around his finger soon enough. He just grinned at me.

We all gathered together and decided we would go boys against girls. The guys didn't know just how good we were at this game, so they were convinced that they had it in the bag. _Silly boys!_

"Ladies, we'll give you a head start. We won't head out to look for you for five whole minutes, giving you plenty of time." Edward said smiling, thinking he was being gentlemanly.

The girls and I looked at each other and busted out laughing.

"It's on like Donkey Kong, boys." Rose was now in game mode. You don't mess with this Rose.

Our first game went pretty quick. The boys didn't know what they were up against so they let down their guard. We wiped the floor with their asses!

"Son of a bitch! They are fucking girls, man, how did they beat us?" Emmett grumbled as we were reloading our guns.

"Ok, first of all Em dear, my dad is the Chief of Police, what did you expect?" His eyes popped open.

"Dude! You didn't tell us that! What the hell?" He said punching Edward in the shoulder.

"Second," I started, "Rosalie doesn't take shit from anybody, did you ever think that she might have taken self-defense classes and learned how to fire a weapon, too?" I was giggling by now. "And third, Alice is so small she can sneak up on anyone, so no one stands a chance against her!"

"Well, it's no holds barred now, girls. We're onto you!" Emmett growled.

Edward kissed me and gave me a quick squeeze telling me he liked me a lot, but he wouldn't take it easy on me. I grinned and shook my head. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

The next two games were a lot more challenging. The girls won one game and the guys won one. We were now in the middle of our fourth and final game. Alice had gotten Edward out pretty quick. I hadn't seen Jasper or Emmett, so I was really on the lookout. I was sneaking behind a large tree when I heard a twig snap. I flipped around quickly just in time to see Jasper. We shot each other at the same time. I growled and Jasper laughed.

He came over and bumped fists with me, "Good play there, Miss Bella."

We walked back up to the front and no sooner than we sat down I heard Alice squeal, "Emmett, you fucker! How the hell can you hide that huge body like that?"

We laughed and waited for her to reach the clearing. She was stomping and pouting. Typical Alice. Jasper walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay ma cher, now you can spend more time sitting with me."

Thirty minutes later we still hadn't heard from Rose or Emmett. I was kind of worried because Rose was good. She knew all of the hiding spots. And, like Alice said, Emmett is huge—it's not easy to hide him.

Finally after 45 minutes we decided to spread out and go looking for them. I passed the RV and looked inside. Empty. I looked in all of the ravines. Empty. I looked in all of the good hiding places. I was coming up on the back forty when I heard a noise and glanced over to my left.

Oh. My. God. I ran away towards the base as fast as my feet could carry me, all the while screaming at the top of my lungs, "MY EYES! BLEACH! BLEACH! MY EYES! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" _Ok, so that was a bit dramatic, but I__ had just been__ severely traumatized._

Jasper, Alice, and Edward all managed to find me halfway back. Edward caught me by the waist. He looked frantic. I was still screaming about bleach and my eyes, so he was thinking that I somehow got bleach _in_ my eyes.

"Let me see, are you okay?" He was trying to pry my eyes opened.

"No! NO! I need bleach! Oh my God, **that** is going to be burned into my retinas forever!"

"What are you talking about? Let's get you to the medic station. We need to flush your eyes." Edward rushed the words while pulling me toward the front of the park.

"You don't understand! I don't have bleach in my eyes, I _need_ bleach for my eyes!"

About that time Rose and Emmett came walking toward us. Emmett had a Joker face on and Rose was straightening her clothes and smoothing down her haystack of hair. I gagged. _Sorry, some things you just can't help._

I glared at Rose. "You know these games are supervised, don't you guys? I can't believe you pulled a stunt like that." Rose smirked and just shrugged.

"What the fuck is going on?" Alice shouted.

"Nothing, Bella just got a little bit of an anatomy lesson." Rose said, still brushing off her clothes.

"Rose, I had enough anatomy lessons in med school. What I just saw was mortifying…"

"WHAT?!?" Alice, Edward, and Jazz shouted in unison.

I told them what I had just seen, puking in my mouth three times in the process. Rose was up against a tree with her knees on Emmett's shoulders. He had his face buried in her crotch. Rose was pinching her nipples and had her head thrown back. And, as if watching Emmett munching on her hoohah wasn't enough, he also had his pants down to his knees and was spanking the monkey with one hand while fingering her ass with the other. _That sure is one talented mother fucker, right there._

The three blockheads around me were doubled over in laughter. Rosalie was inspecting her fingernails and Emmett was still standing there grinning like a mule eating briars.

"Well, I am glad I could amuse you guys, now I need to get to a bathroom and either vomit or Clorox my eyes." I walked away huffing.

Edward ran up to me and put his arm around my waist. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I am sure it was horrific. But on the bright side, we set out to get those two together and…well, they were together." He giggled. _Giggled? Oh my God, how incredibly cute!_

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, trying to be mean, but he was just so dang cute. I couldn't help but grin back and then we started laughing and we laughed all the way to the front office.

* * *

After we turned in all of our gear, we headed back to camp. I looked around and sighed with content. Here we were, three happy couples walking hand in hand, thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Things certainly had changed in such a short time.

The guys started a fire while we gathered stuff for S'mores and the wine coolers. They didn't allow hard liquor in the park, which I was thankful for even though Emmett made it clear he was not. I didn't want our time together tonight to be ruined by being too intoxicated…Emmett seemed to think intoxication would make it ten times better. _Such a goofball._

We all snuggled together as couples and shared stories with each other while eating and drinking.

We had been sitting for about an hour, all having heard many embarrassing tales about one another when Emmett said, "So, how about we have an orgy?" I inhaled a crumb from my graham cracker and almost choked to death. Edward was patting me on the back and trying to get me to take a drink to wash it down. Jasper threw an empty bottle at Emmett nearly hitting him upside the head.

"Emmett, these ladies don't know not to take you seriously, you can't go saying that kind of garbage in front of them. Forgive him, Miss Bella, his mother gave birth in a nuclear waste plant. He can't help it that he was born with brain damage." Jasper said in the calmest tone imaginable.

My coughing finally subsided and I smiled at Jasper, "Yeah, I found out pretty quickly that his lights are on but no one's home." Everyone chuckled at that and we started back into friendly conversation.

At one point someone brought up sex—wow, what a surprise with this bunch—and Alice forced me to tell the boys why we went on a sexual hiatus for six months…which we actually cut three months short—thanks to these smexy men sitting beside us.

Rolling my eyes I said, "Of course you guys act like I pinned you down and forced you to go along with it." I looked at each of the guys, "They were more than willing to agree after that last night we experienced, believe me."

Emmett rubbed his hands together, "Ooh, this is going to be good, isn't it?"

I huffed because I really didn't want to share this horrible story, especially not with Edward. "The three of us went out to a fancy night club almost four months ago. We were having a great time when we were approached by three guys…very nice looking guys, mind you. They were so…what's the word?"

"Debonair." Alice swooned, batting her eyelashes.

"That works…debonair. They had all the right words and all the right moves. We ended up dancing with them all night long. At the end of the night we asked them to come back to our place to hang out for a little while longer. We had a few more drinks and our as our inhibitions began to loosen…well, we started making out." I laughed nervously.

"Things started getting a little heated, so we each took off to our own rooms." I paused because this was about to get really fucking awkward. Edward squeezed my waist, though I am not sure he even knew why. "The next thing happened so fast, that I can't honestly tell you who found out first."

"I'll tell you who the fuck found out first, it was me! That sick fuck didn't waste any time at all." Rose was fuming. "'Carl' also known as 'Carly' had _her_ hand down my pants nearly bringing me to a fucking orgasm when I ventured into _her_ pants only to find a fucking pussy instead of a cock! Sick fucking bitch."

I closed my eyes. I didn't need to see what the guys' faces looked like. Edward whispered, "Oh my God…are you fucking kidding me? Were they all women?" I nodded timidly.

"Well damn! And I missed out on some sweet lesbo action? What happened next? Did you guys finish? Come on, tell me!" Emmett was back to smiling like a buffoon.

"No, shithead! We didn't finish! I suck dick, not pussy, you moron!" Rose slapped his shoulder.

Jasper was hugging Alice. "I'm so sorry you had to endure that ma cher," he said while rubbing circles on her back.

It's not that we're homophobic or anything, it's just we like guys…more precisely, we like dick…and those _women_ had us thinking we were getting some only to let us down by lacking the thing we wanted most.

"Well, needless to say, that was an eye opener and made us realize that we needed to raise our standards when it came to men. As much as the evidence points in the other direction, we aren't whores; we would just occasionally…want to get laid." I laughed.

"Well, lucky for you ladies we have more than enough cock to go around!" Emmett announced.

"Speaking of which…I have seen more of you than I ever wanted to Emmett…you have scarred me for life, I'll have you know. And on that note, I'm tired…or at least ready for _bed_, so I will see you guys in the morning… Oh, and if the tent's a rocking…"

Everyone said, "Don't come knocking!"

I took Edward by the hand and led him to our tent.

* * *

"So what would you guys have done if Rose wouldn't have fixed things with Emmett? Where would she have slept?" Edward asked while moving my hair from my shoulder and kissing my neck softly.

"Well, she still would have been stuck with Emmett. Which knowing her, if she was still really ticked off, she would have slept in the truck." I laughed.

Edward had started kissing further down my neck to my shoulder. He slowly pushed me on to my back and hovered over me. He kissed my forehead softly and slowly—very slowly—then trailed his lips down the side of my face to my right ear. He let out a soft breath and sucked my earlobe into his mouth briefly causing me to gasp. Then his lips grazed across my cheek, stopping at the tip of my nose for a quick peck, continuing across my other cheek and continued onto my other ear where he began gently sucking my lobe.

The whole time I was running my fingers up and down his back feeling him shiver under my touch. He pulled back and smiled at me, then leaned forward and started kissing me with so much passion. He opened his mouth slightly and I dipped my tongue in and he groaned. He met my tongue with his and began a smooth, sensual rhythm.

Edward let some of his weight rest on me, but held most of his weight with his arms. I lifted my hips until I came in contact with his arousal and I whimpered. He thrust his hips slightly and groaned again.

He kissed across my jaw to my ear again and circled his tongue around my entire ear. It was incredibly erotic and I breathed out, "Edward, I need you," as I was lifting my hips again. He kissed down my neck across my collarbone to the dip between my breasts and then back up the other side following the same path to my other ear.

When he reached my ear he said, "My _Bella_, my beautiful Bella." With the change of my name coming from his lips, my heart started fluttering like the wings on a hummingbird. It was something so incredibly silly, but having him call me Isabella so many times before actually calling me Bella truly made the name Bella mean something more, just like he promised on the day he met me. I let out a gush of air and squeezed him tightly letting him know that I appreciated what he said.

Edward pulled back and looked into my eyes, "I am going to make sweet love to you tonight, my Bella. I am going to take my time and cherish every minute with you. You have walked into my life and turned my world upside down and I couldn't be happier. I want to show you how happy you make me. And I am going to start right here." And he began kissing me again. I could feel so much emotion being poured out into that kiss. I'd never felt anything like it in my entire life. So I decided to put all of my feelings back into it as well.

We did nothing but kiss for a good fifteen or twenty minutes, but it never got tiring or boring. It was wonderful and amazing. Edward began to snake his hand up my shirt caressing each inch of skin as he went. He came in contact with my bra and brushed his palm across my peak before pulling the top down to massage my nipple. I moaned in his mouth and felt him smile against my lips.

I gently removed his shirt, briefly breaking our kiss to allow it to pass over his head. When I ran my fingers up his chest he breathed out, "Your hands are amazingly soft. You can't imagine how that feels."

I leaned up to try to kiss him again, but he pulled back slightly and grabbed the hem of my shirt and slowly removed it. He kissed the breast that was still peeking out from above my bra. "You have the most fascinating body, my Bella. Utterly perfect." He reached back and unclasped my bra and kissed from one peak to the other.

I had raised my hands to his hair and started to rub circles into his scalp and his eyes rolled back for a moment as he hummed in appreciation.

Edward started kissing between my breasts and continued down my stomach with small nips and pecks here and there, pausing briefly at my navel and dipping his tongue in. I tightened my stomach and he chuckled. He sat back on his knees and gently removed my pants. He kissed my left leg from my ankle to my thigh stopping inches from my sex before he went to my right leg and repeated the action. Everything was so slow and controlled. He didn't rush anything. Any other time I would be in a hurry needing and wanting release, but there was something about Edward's movements that made me just relax and relish the feeling.

Edward had kissed every inch of both legs and stopped just an inch from my sex. He glanced up at me with a twinkle in his eye and slowly licked between my folds. I yelped and rocked my hips accidentally and he pulled back a tiny bit. When he realized I was relaxed again, he started slowly licking again. It was excruciatingly slow, but so incredible that I couldn't speak. He licked circles around my clit occasionally flattening his tongue against it. Then he would lower and dip his tongue into my core making me yelp every time. He continued this for what felt like hours until I couldn't take it anymore. I needed him in me. "Edward, please! I need you inside of me. Please!" I tugged on his hair.

He licked one last time and crawled back up my body, kissing every inch of the way. _How__ could__ he remain so calm?_

When he was over me I realized he still had his pants on so I began to unbutton them to remove them. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a condom and I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him and then I grinned.

He blushed and shrugged his shoulders. We removed his pants and he reached for the condom, but I grabbed his hand. "Edward, I want to feel you tonight…all of you." His eyes started to get big and I realized he didn't know I was on the pill. "I'm on the pill, I won't get pregnant, you don't have to worry."

He let out a gust of air and smiled his adorable little crooked smile. "That will make it so much sweeter, my Bella." _Ugh…every time he says that it does strange things to my ovaries…_

Edward grazed my entrance with the tip of his erection and slowly pushed inside of me. Both of us moaning deeply at the feeling. He leaned down and took my lower lip into his mouth sucking gently. "Edward…" I kissed him back, sucking on his top lip as he slowly rocked against me, filling me completely over and over again.

"Oh, my Bella. You feel so amazing. I've never felt anything like this, like you before." He managed to say in between calculated thrusts.

"Oh Edward, me either."

We continued rocking and kissing and just taking our time. We never rushed it and eventually when we reached our climax it was spectacular, and so filled with emotion.

Edward pulled out of me and crawled up to lie down beside me. He pulled me close so that my back was flush against his chest, which was still moist with sweat. _God, this man is so sexy when he is sweaty._ He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my slightly dampened hair out of the way as he kissed the back of my neck several times before whispering, "My Bella, that was incredible. You are incredible. I don't know if words can describe it." He continued to lavish my neck and squeezed my waist.

"Mmm, I know. I have never, ever taken it slow like that before. You were magnificent." I squeezed his hands and nuzzled my head back into his shoulder. I started to worry about how that felt more like making love than sex._ Don't think right now Bella, just enjoy….._

"It's getting harder and harder for me to be away from you. I feel like I have a hole in my chest when you are gone." He whispered in between kisses.

"Let's not think about being apart right now. We're together, let's focus on that." I said, letting out a small breath.

"I'd like that." He said while tenderly turning me over to face him.

We made love three more times that night before we finally drifted off to sleep, still holding tightly on to each other.

**Ok, I am sorry to add another A/N, but…there should be a question just screaming to get out. "WHAT'S IN THE BASKET?" (Oh and I totally just did the whiney Brad Pitt voice from 'Seven'—"What's in the box?") I already have the next chapter written and I wrote what is in the basket, BUT…if a reader can come up with something really crazy to put in the basket that I think is better than my idea, I will change it and give you a shout out! Hit me with your best shot! Anyone who gives me an idea will get a teaser for the next chapter. Heck, I will be nice…anyone who even smiles at me in a review (you know who you are *grin*) I will give you a teaser. I like teasers…do you like teasers? Lol**

**Jasper will call you ma cher for a review (was that not sweet when he called her that? I totally heard Gambit's voice when he did…)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello hello! Well, I was very nervous over the Rose/Emmett situation last chapter, but I got RAVE reviews, so I guess you guys were okay with it! lol**

**I think this chapter will make a whole lot of ppl very happy ;)**

**I would like to thank the following ppl for making suggestions for the basket. I am sorry that I didn't use anyone's ideas, but I ended up keeping what I had planned (there is a link on my profile in case you are clueless) I still want to thank everyone who suggested, so here they are: banshee69, Alitrona, magicaltears, Frenchbeanz, njdevil30718, and MafiaBitches. Thank you each and every one of you!**

**I want to thank my betas, SBA and AS08, AS07, AS06, AS05, and AS04 (LOL, really it is AS08, but last chapter I accidentally called her AS03, so so so so sorry!! I luv you girl!!!) You girls are the cheese in my macaroni! (thank you hexumhunnie311 for reminding me about the cheese and macaroni!!)**

**Make sure you check out my profile because I have added pictures that go along with the story and links to things pertaining to it as well.**

**As usual, SM owns these characters, but I own Dick.**

EPOV

The only thing that compared to sex with Isabella was waking up with her in my bed. Unfortunately, the morning after our purple sheet experience happened to be the last morning that I would be able to wake up next to her for a while. I had to go back to the station and sleep on the rickety, lumpy, and very empty cot that didn't have my nice satiny purple sheets that smelled of Isabella. _God I'm so girly that I think I might actually be growing tits…_

I used to enjoy my days and nights at the station because it meant that I wasn't home alone and bored. Now it just meant time that I couldn't spend with the woman I was becoming so incredibly attached to. Luckily we were able to talk on the phone and text. I think I might have had a mental breakdown had I not been able to hear her voice.

We had made plans to go camping at the paintball park with the girls this Friday; however Rose was not in on the tiny little detail that we would be there. Isabella insisted that it was the only way to get her to see Emmett and we should just play along. This caused a big ruckus in Emmettville. He wanted to do something to knock her socks off. He consulted Alice and Bella to come up with the perfect gift. He had also been practicing being a gentleman—oh my God was _that_ a sight to see!

Emmett would walk up to one of us and say, "Excuse me, would you mind if I walked you to your car?" It never failed, whoever he said it to would laugh so hard that they couldn't breathe. He would huff and storm off like a spoiled brat. It was hilarious. He would pull out our chairs for us at the dinner table. He would hold doors open for us. He kept us constantly entertained. Poor Emmett, though, he thought us laughing at him meant he was doing it wrong, when really it was just so odd to see the big goon act so…well, so _nice_.

Thursday night I told Isabella what it was like around the station with Emmett and she had a pretty good laugh over it. She was in the middle of her laughing fit when she was questioned by Rosalie about it. I could tell by the way she reacted after that that something had happened. She then told me how Rosalie had responded to hearing that Emmett had asked a girl for 'two nipples for a dime.' I laughed and told her that the next day was going to be pretty interesting.

Shortly after that conversation, Isabella shocked the hell out of me—and ultimately Dick—by engaging in a nice little game of phone sex. I am almost ashamed to admit that at 25 years old, I had never participated in phone sex. I say _almost_ because honestly, I have never had a relationship where either of us would have been comfortable enough to initiate it. I must say, my first experience was quite enjoyable. _Understatement of the year!_ I loved hearing Isabella cum. It was very easy to imagine her hands on my cock and mine inside her hot wet core. Dick was so amazed by it that he sat back, drank a gin and tonic and smoked a cigar, all the while smiling like a cat that ate the canary.

We ended our night with promises of plenty of action the following night on our camping trip. _Yes, I know Dick,__ I'm__ looking forward to it as well._

* * *

The following morning was…interesting. We were still on call until noon, so Emmett was continuing to practice being suave and noble. To get his 'mojo' on he was blaring H-Town's 'Ways to Treat a Woman' on the loud speaker…over...and over…and over again. When anyone would complain, he would simply restart it from the beginning. The worst part about it was that when the song got to the part where it said, "Baby I know you like it when I lick the honey off your smooth back, the way I rub your pretty toes and maybe suck em after all that. And when you make the sexy sounds I start to grow with the flow, yeah"…well, in a building full of sexually frustrated men, this caused a lot of hard-ons…and it is absolutely _NOT COOL_ to walk around with a bunch of other guys, all sporting woodies. _ Yep__, Emmett__ was__ going to pay dearly for this._

Twelve o'clock couldn't come fast enough for us. The three of us bolted out of there faster than a scalded dog. Once I got home and spent some time with Dick, I packed my things for the evening. Unfortunately this took very little time and left me with several hours to spare before we were supposed to meet at the park. I decided that a nap was a pretty good idea, especially since I didn't plan on sleeping much when we were camping. _At least Dick and I sure hoped we weren't going to be sleeping._

* * *

I woke up two hours later with a raging case of morning…er afternoon wood. Yeah, I forgot that all I ever dream about is Isabella and that Dick is always alert and ready when I wake up. _Note to self: Ask dad how many hours the body can handle an erection without repercussions…_ _then again, maybe don't ask him that…._

I had a few errands to run before our night. One of which was to stock up on condoms since my lack of activity in the past 18 months had left my supply rather limited. I grabbed my things, stuffed them in the trunk of my car, and headed to the local drug store.

I was standing in front of the condoms, reaching out to grab a pack of regular Ecstasy Trojans when I heard a very familiar, but rather nauseating voice behind me. "Well, well, well…who's the lucky lady?" Dick quickly convinced me to move my hand and grab the Ecstasy Magnum XL pack instead. I gave him a high-five.

I turned around and made sure _not_ to hide the box in my hand, "Hello, Tanya. Isabella is the lady, but _I_ am the lucky one." I made sure to grin a very condescending smile just to make sure she knew who my heart and my now extra large sized penis belonged to. _Trust me, Dick, we both know you won't fit in these,__ this is just for appearances__, so wipe that smirk off of your face._

Tanya took a breath and opened her mouth as if she was getting ready to say something, then glanced down at my hand. Her face did the most amazing thing…her eyebrows shot up when her jaw dropped down—it reminded me of that mask they wore in 'Scream'—it really was amazing that a face was capable of doing that.

Just for shits and giggles I decided to take it one step further. "Well, Tanya, I'm sorry that I can't stay and chat, but we were kinda, um, busy and ran out of supplies, so uh…I'm kinda in a hurry. See ya later!" Dick looked over his shoulder and stuck out his tongue as we were walking away. Tanya was still standing there frozen. _I should __have__ take__n__ a picture and post__ed __ it on You Tube with scenes from the movie…_

* * *

I made my way to Emmett's house because we had decided to meet there and then the three of us were all riding to the park in his Hummer. Apparently, Jazz and I drove cars that were more for show than for tow.

I hopped out of my car, grabbed my stuff out of the trunk and threw it into Em's Hummer. I cracked his front door and tried to announce myself, but he had Eminem blaring on his surround sound and I knew he wouldn't hear me. As I turned the corner to enter the living room I came face to face with Emmett's reenactment of Tom Cruise in 'Risky Business'- minus the button down shirt…and the boxers…so yeah, pretty much stark naked with tube socks on.

He turned and saw me, grinned and commenced to air hump toward me. _What the Fuck?_ _Thank you for that, Emmett, seriously…_

I grabbed his remote off of the coffee table, switched off the radio and snarled at him. "Please go put some freaking clothes on, Emmett. You knew we were on our way, don't act like I invaded your privacy."

Emmett laughed and started walking toward his bedroom. "You may be our Chief, but sometimes I have to remind you who's boss, Eddie boy!" Dick began to list which drugs caused erectile dysfunction, making plans to slip some in Emmett's drink later.

While Emmett was getting ready in his room, Jazz walked in. "Hey, man, how's it going? I was hoping you would make it here before me. The last time I walked in on Em it was not a pretty sight." We had learned over the years to not knock on Emmett's door because he doesn't answer knocks. _Probably does it just for this reason, sick fuck…_

"Yeah, you're lucky, dude. He decided the sliding scene in 'Risky Business' needed less clothing." I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

"Very glad I missed that, then. I really think Emmett tries his hardest to make us uncomfortable. He truly needs some kind of intervention." Jazz chuckled softly.

"Alright my brothas, let's make like a tree and leaf!" He grabbed a stuffed bear as big Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters and a huge basket that I quickly grabbed out of his hand. "Hey! Don't go through that!" He tried to grab it back, but I have always been quicker than Emmett so it was a lost cause.

I started pulling stuff out of the basket and looked at Emmett thoroughly confused. The basket was filled with all sorts of lolcats gifts. There were T-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads, calendars. Everything had those silly little cat pictures with funny sayings.

Emmett was blushing. _WHAT THE HELL?? EMMETT DOESN'T BLUSH!!!!_ "Alice said Rose loves lolcats more than anything in the world. More than flowers, more than chocolates, more than any of the normal things a guy would buy a woman. She said this was sure to win her heart." He hung his head like he was ashamed. _Now __who's the__ dick for picking on the big blockhead__?_

I patted him on the shoulder, "Hey dude, that's really cool. I didn't know you were in cahoots with Alice, man. I am sure she knows Rosalie well enough to give great advice for gifts. All that matters is that she likes it."

This seemed to cheer Emmett up. He straightened his shoulders, grabbed the basket and shoulder bumped me. "Come on, we don't want to keep the ladies waiting."

* * *

We pulled into the parking lot at the park and began to unload our gear. Bella had decided it would be better for the girls to arrive early and set up camp in order to deter Rosalie from backing out once she saw Emmett.

Emmett had his hands full and belted out, "This one time, at band camp…" and wiggled his eyebrows. Jazz and I both busted out laughing at that, because come on, 'band camp girl' from American Pie was a total riot. Hearing Emmett saying her line was even more hilarious.

We came into the clearing and all eyes were on Emmett. Obviously they had heard his big mouth already.

One-track mind that I have taking full effect, I walked over to Isabella and wrapped my arms around her. _Mmm, I missed that smell._ Yeah, so did Dick…he was at full mast immediately.

I told her I didn't bring gifts like Emmett had but I brought myself and I hoped she didn't mind. She went on to tell me…or Dick rather…that there was only one gift she needed to make her night perfect. _YES!_

* * *

We had played several rounds of paintball and were finally on our last round waiting for Emmett and Rosalie to get one or the other out and we noticed that they had been gone an awful long time—45 minutes to be more precise. We decided to split up and look for them.

I was probably 200 yards in when I heard Isabella screaming about her eyes and bleach. _How the hell do you get bleach in your eyes out here in the woods?_

I instantly made my way to her wailing and immediately tried to help with her eyes. She was saying something about needing bleach and I thought she might have been losing coherency or something. I started pulling her toward the medic station to flush out her eyes.

Turns out Isabella didn't get bleach in her eyes. What she wanted was to put bleach in her eyes because she had ventured upon Emmett and Rosalie in a very…compromising situation and unluckily for her, saw more Emmett than anyone should ever have to see. Dick started to dry heave.

* * *

We had a nice time around the campfire. Emmett, true to form, said some derogatory comment about an orgy. Poor Isabella nearly choked, but Jasper saved the day with his comment.

Later someone—most likely Emmett, but I'm not for certain—brought up sex. Alice made Isabella tell the story of why they were on sexual hiatus. _Wait…what? She certainly never told me she was avoiding sex, God I am such a tool._

The story Isabella told made the girls boiling mad, but it made us…well incredibly hard. I chanced a look at Jazz and Emmett and both of them were adjusting themselves just as I was. Dick was salivating.

Once the shock wore off, I asked Isabella if they were in fact all women, to which she nodded and Emmett had to put his two cents of vulgarity in. Jasper, being the southern charmer that he is, comforted Alice.

I was just about to suggest alone time with Isabella when she did so herself. _This is why I love her…oh my God, __did I really mean that? Yes__…I d__id….__ I do love her. Wow! I love Isabella! It felt so nice to say it…well at least think it._

On the way to the tent I was considering my new epiphany and how I could share it with Isabella. I didn't want to scare her away. I knew from our recent time apart that she didn't want to move too fast. However, my parents had taught me that our time on this earth could be over in the blink of an eye and you should never take anything for granted, this included having all the time in the world to declare your love for someone. I needed to proceed carefully. Suddenly, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

* * *

Once we were in the tent, I didn't take much time to begin my worship of her body with my lips. I kissed her everywhere. After a few minutes she lifted her hips and let me know that she needed me and I knew right then was when I wanted to take action.

I kissed up to her ear and said, "My _Bella_, my beautiful Bella." _If only you knew how truly beautiful you are…_

She let out a quick breath and squeezed me. It seemed like she was letting me know she knew what I was trying to convey with the change of her name. I pulled back and looked into her eyes and let her know my intentions for the evening. I poured every bit of the love I felt for this woman into my kisses.

We kissed for a long time and I began to kiss and caress her everywhere, taking my time and marveling at the beauty that laid before me. After several minutes of my slow kisses and licks on her most sensitive spots she made it clear that she was ready for me to be inside of her.

She unbuttoned my pants and I grabbed the condom out of my back pocket when she shook her head at me and grinned. I just shrugged my shoulders because what can I say? I'd now learned to always be prepared when I was around her.

Bella surprised me by saying that she wanted to feel all of me inside of her and this briefly made me nervous until she assured me she was on the pill. Then I realized that this was actually a very good thing because in my haste that afternoon I had forgotten to exchange the XL condoms back for the regular. _Talk about embarrassing, I am glad we avoided that situation._ Dick, his ego deflated, agreed.

As I called her Bella once again, and I felt overwhelmingly content. I loved this woman more than I ever thought possible and I realized that she was my life now. Everything I did, every decision I made, every goal I set, would be with her in mind.

We continued to make love slowly, just relishing in each other until eventually we both climaxed. I then laid down behind her and cradled her in my arms telling her how incredible it had been all the while kissing her neck.

We made love three more times before we fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

The next morning I awoke covered in beautiful brown curls. I pulled her closer to me and inhaled the magnificent scent of Bella. She sighed contentedly and kissed my chest where her chin rested.

"Good morning, beautiful." I said as I pulled her hair away from her face to see her looking into my eyes.

She smiled, "Sleep well?"

"The best. You?" I grinned and kissed her forehead.

"Yes, yes, I did. I am beginning to think you emit some type of sleeping gas because I can only sleep when I am with you." She reached up and kissed me gently.

"You never told me. Why do you have problems sleeping?"

She looked at me warily. "I've never told anyone this other than my father. Six months ago, I was on my way home from work and needed to stop at the drug store for some…uh _feminine_ products." She blushed when she said feminine. She is so darn cute. "As I came out of the drug store two guys walked up to me and started pulling me toward the alley. I tried to scream, but one of them had already put his hand over my mouth while the other held my legs so I couldn't kick. They almost had me in the alley when a teenage boy saw them and started shouting at them to leave me alone. He had a cell phone and was already dialing the police. The two guys dropped me and ran off before the cops came. Ever since then, it seems I can't sleep for more than a few hours without waking up in a cold sweat and I'm usually dreaming of being pulled into a dark alley. That is, with the exception of sleeping in your arms." She grinned and winked.

_Wow…_"Well, Isabella, maybe you just need to sleep in my arms more often." I grinned crookedly at her until I saw that her face had dropped and she was nearly pouting. "What is it?"

"You called me Isabella again. I loved it when you called me Bella last night."

I cupped her face and pulled her close. I needed to make sure she understood what I was going to say. "Do you remember what I told you the day I met you? You are truly beautiful, but I don't want your name to lose its meaning by the frequency of its use. Everyone else calls you Bella, but I want to save that name as a term of endearment. I want it to convey all of my feelings for you, therefore I don't plan to use it too often. Does that bother you, Isabella?"

She had tears in her eyes and shook her head. "No one has ever acknowledged my name as anything other than a silly name for a little girl. You make me feel like so much more than an ordinary girl. I can't explain how I feel when I am around you except that it is wonderful and you make me feel like the most beautiful woman alive." Her tears had spilled onto her cheeks and I reached up and began to wipe them away.

"My Bella, to me, you _are_ the most beautiful woman alive. You are all I think about. You are all I dream about. You are all I see awake and asleep. You have taken over every one of my five senses and I can't help but be thankful for that. I want to be with you and no one else. I want to pamper you. I want to take care of you when you are sick. I want to laugh with you. I want to cry with you. I want to meet your parents. I want you to meet my parents. I want to share everything with you. Can we go out tonight? We never had our date. I want to take you someplace really nice."

"Edward, I would like nothing more than to go out with you. All of those sweet things you said? I feel exactly the same way. You have no idea how much you mean to me already." She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair, kissed the tip of my nose and said, "We should probably leave the tent. It sounds like the others are already awake."

* * *

We had packed all of our things and were heading out of the park. I whispered in Bella's ear, "Look over at Rose and Emmett. I think our plan worked." Emmett was carrying Rose piggy-back and she was smiling ear to ear.

Bella said, "It's about time. She's had some horrible pent up sexual frustration going on. Talk about a bitch from hell. You haven't seen anything until you have seen sex-deprived Rose!" She giggled and grabbed her sleeping bag.

I pulled her to me, "What time shall I pick you up milady?"

She lightly slapped my arm and snorted. "How about 6:00? So I can have plenty of time to make myself presentable?" _Oh, Bella, you would be presentable in a paper sack…_

"Well, I don't think it would take that long for you to brush your hair, but if you insist…" I grinned.

"You don't need to butter me up, you know you'll get lucky tonight, mister."

* * *

"I don't care if you thought you wouldn't get caught, Emmett, that was so incredibly inconsiderate of you to put Rose in that situation." Jasper was lecturing Emmett on the ways to treat a woman. I just kept my mouth shut. I've learned after all of these years that you can lead a horse to water but…

"Dude, you don't even understand! It wasn't my idea, I swear, man. She was all up on my pecker, bro, I couldn't keep her off…well, I _did_ get her off, but that's besides the point." He started laughing hysterically.

"Emmett, please!! We don't force you to listen to our sexual endeavors, could you give us the same respect, please! Heck, you should give Rose that respect as well." Jazz drawled.

"Well, I am just happy you two got your shit together so now we can all rest easy." I rolled my eyes.

Once we were back at Emmett's place, Jazz and I got in our own cars and headed home. I had a few places to stop before I made my way home, wanting to make tonight perfect.

* * *

I pulled up in front of Bella's house and before I even made it out of my car she was walking out of the front door. She looked sexy as hell. Dick was already undressing and heading to her bedroom.

"Shit, Isabella, I thought you wanted to go out tonight."

She looked at me as if I just grew a second head.

I grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her into my ever present hard-on and murmured in her ear, "All I can think of is stripping you down and ravaging you all night. Who needs to eat?" I sucked her earlobe into my mouth and ran my tongue back and forth.

"Well, I am sorry to burst your bubble, but I didn't get to eat today, so I am starving. I promise to make it worth your while if you take me out and feed me." She pulled my face back and began kissing me in such a way that I had to break the kiss before Dick sprang free right here in the middle of her driveway.

"Okay, Isabella, if you plan to eat first, we need to stop this now because Dick is attempting to break free as we speak." _Fuck, I didn't mean to refer to him…_

"Dick, huh? First of all, that's a very, um, original name, and second of all…are you telling me he has a mind of his own?"

"Oh you have no idea. He has a one-track mind. That's why he's always at attention around you." I grinned wickedly.

"Is that so? So does…Dick stand at attention for anyone else or is it just me?" She smirked.

"I must say that before you came along he rarely got excited, but now it is incredibly difficult to calm him down. Now, can we _please_ quit talking about him, he is never going to relax as long as we keep talking about him." I was so incredibly embarrassed talking about my dick as if he were another entity, however, Bella didn't seem to mind…in fact she laughed right along with me. Dick raised his arms in a field goal sign.

* * *

We arrived at Serafina within a few minutes of leaving her house. We both ordered a glass of Dom Martinho and began sipping right away. Bella complimented the wine saying she had never been to this restaurant before. _Yes__!__O__ne point for me._

I ordered the Bistecca Basquaise and Bella ordered the Melanzane alla Serafina. I just looked oddly at her.

"What? Have you never had eggplant?" I slowly shook my head while making a disgusted face. "Well, you are going to try mine when it comes. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I can almost guarantee it."

As always, we had a nice conversation while waiting for our meal.

"Would you care if I stayed at your place tonight, Edward?" Bella asked, blushing. _Why is she blushing?_

"You can stay with me whenever you, Isabella, but why in the world are you blushing?" I reached across the table and held her hand.

"It's just that I have never _asked_ to stay at someone's place before and it feels weird and I didn't want to force myself on you." She dropped her gaze to the table.

I reached across and pulled her chin up so she could look in my eyes. "Do not _ever_ think that you are forcing yourself on me, my Bella. If it was up to me, I would move you into my house right now and never let you leave again. That is how much I want to be with you. I can't stand being away from you. It breaks my heart to part from you."

She grinned and quietly said, "Okay." _I don't think she believes me. __ I'm going to__ have to do something about that._

When our meal arrived I really _was_ pleasantly surprised by the taste of eggplant. My mother would be so proud.

We shared our food with each other, grinning like fools and flirting like a couple of lovebirds all the while never letting our hands break contact. We even played footsie for a bit…until she kicked off her heels and snaked her foot up and started teasing Dick. I warned her that she was wearing a dress and I was fairly certain she didn't want my foot to start its own exploring and she agreed.

After our meal and dessert, I convinced her to take a walk with me. We were only three blocks from Lake Union and I was fairly certain she had never been on an evening ferry ride. When she realized what we were doing, she started bouncing and quietly clapping her hands.

"Oh my God! I've always wanted to ride the ferry at night. I've never found anyone who would ride with me and I didn't want to ride alone!" She hugged me like her life depended on it and showered me with kisses until it was time for the ferry to begin the half-hour route.

I had never been on the ferry at night either so when she was awestruck by the Seattle skyline I was just as amazed myself. It truly was spectacular. It wasn't long though, before I took my eyes off of the lights of the city and focused them on the exquisite woman beside me. I was watching her intently for about five minutes when she noticed out of her peripheral vision and quirked her head at me.

"Is something wrong?" she asked me shyly.

I pulled her to me and kissed her gently before looking in her eyes and saying, "No, my Bella, nothing is wrong. In fact, everything is right, so very right." I couldn't hold back anymore. I knew I could ruin everything, but I didn't care. I cupped her face in the palm of my hands and even with Dick trying his damnedest to gag me with a handkerchief, I said it. "I love you my Bella. I truly love you. I'm sorry if this is too soon for you and I don't expect you to say it back, but I can't sit here and feel this and not let you know. I. Love. You."

Dick feigned a heart attack and to avoid any awkward silence I kissed her. It started slow and she was kissing me back. _That__ was__ encouraging, right?_ So I started to kiss her with more fervor. I parted her lips with my tongue and she allowed me access while massaging my tongue with hers. I took this as confirmation that she wasn't squicked out by my proclamation and I continued our kiss. I trailed one hand down to her waist and pulled her into me. When Dick started trying to play pat-a-cake with her girly parts she moaned and pushed further into me. I grabbed her right leg and started to pull it up to my waist when I remembered she was wearing a tight fitting dress that restricted much movement. So instead, I just cupped her ass and lifted her slightly off of her feet.

I pulled my lips back minutely, just enough to whisper to her, "I love you. I love you. I love you." I kissed in between each declaration. As I kissed her after the last time saying it, I felt her smile against my lips so I rested my forehead to hers breaking our kiss and just staring into her eyes. I could see happiness in the reflection of her eyes and that was enough for me to be content.

But then Bella completely shocked me when she whispered, "It's okay, Edward. It's not too soon. I…I love you too, I honestly do." She had tears streaming down her face but a smile in here eyes and I knew right then and there…I was going to spend the rest of my life with my Bella.

**Aww, who loves Edward? I know I do! Ok, so reviews get a teaser from next chapter—apparently a lot of ppl like that offer, so I will offer it from now on ;) I love all reviews, please don't ever be afraid to tell me anything, good or bad!**


	15. Chapter 15

********FFNET HAS BEEN ON FAIL ALL MORNING!!! Otherwise you would have had this earlier :(**********

**I know this update was longer than the ones before and I am sorry. A lot of stuff happened this week with me and my poor wonderful beta SBA. *We need to send her love because even though she had a ton of real life deadlines to meet she still got my chapter to me!! ILY, girl!!***

**My updates might be more spread out now and I am sorry, but they still should be weekly.**

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**www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=eejnfAq3BwY**

**SM owns them. I just embarrass them.**

BPOV

"I don't know why they're doing this to us. I know they had to plan this, the big jerks." Rose was not in a happy mood. The guys had decided it was time to meet the parents…all of us…and all on the same weekend. We couldn't even be a comfort to one another because we were all a frazzled mess…well, I shouldn't say 'all' because Alice was ecstatic. She _was_, however, slightly worried about being too high strung for Jasper's parents. Even though Jasper adored her crackhead-like personality, that didn't mean his parents would .

"I don't know why you guys are so nervous. We are beautiful, intelligent women who have all gone to medical school and work in a hospital. What's not to love?" Alice looked at us like it was the most obvious statement ever.

"Well, maybe you don't care Ali Baba, but it is kind of awkward to be in the room with a woman who is going to know that you have been boinking her son!" I suddenly realized that I was unintentionally shouting at her. _What I wouldn't give for a Xanax right now_.

"I agree. I mean, surely Em's parents know how vulgar that boy is. They _have_ to know that he's a horndog!" Rose had been pacing back and forth on the floor for about twenty minutes. I think she was the one who was worried the most, though I wasn't sure why.

"Well, _Bellykins_, I'm not worried. So what if a parent knows that their son is sexually active? It's not like they are teenagers or anything. It is perfectly natural for a man in his mid-to-late twenties to be sexual with his girlfriend. **I **have nothing to hide." Alice jutted out her chin in her stubborn little way.

"True…… but from what Edward has told me about his mom, she seems like she's pretty old-fashioned."

* * *

We finished packing for our upcoming trips and then began cleaning up the house we had trashed in the process. Alice and I were leaving first thing in the morning. Jasper and Alice were driving to Bellingham, less than two hours away, but Edward and I had a flight to Chicago to catch. Rose and Emmett weren't leaving until Sunday, since Emmett's parents lived in Seattle and they were meeting for brunch.

Since our camping trip slightly over a month ago, the six of us had been inseparable. We had gone to the movies, out to eat, to Gameworks again and even to a few night clubs. The only time we weren't together as a group was when we were either working or spending time alone as couples.

When Edward had professed his love to me the night on the ferry, I thought I was going to hyperventilate, or at the very least, that my dinner was going to come back up. However, as soon as he kissed me, I felt the passion and love in that kiss, and I allowed myself to pour every bit as much emotion back into it. Then I shocked the hell out of myself by saying it right back to him. The funny thing is…it had felt more natural than breathing.

Edward continued to call me Isabella more than Bella. He had explained to me that he wanted me to know that when he called me Bella he was telling me I was beautiful and he didn't want it to lose its sentiment. So, unless he had something heartfelt to say, it was always Isabella. Rose and Alice were always shocked to hear him ask for Isabella on the phone or at the door, but eventually they accepted it. However, every single time he told me he loved me, he always accompanied it with the words 'my Bella' and every single time my heart would flutter like a butterfly. _I'm such a sap!_

I was at Edward's house just as much as I was at my own house, sometimes even more. Since we were heading out tomorrow, we had decided it would be best for me to stay at my place so the girls and I could enjoy time together before we had to go.

The girls and I thought it would be all in good fun to watch "Meet the Parents" before we went to bed. We had so much fun laughing at poor 'Gaylord' Focker.

"See, it could _never_ be that bad, girls! We have nothing to worry about." Alice tried to assure us. I had to admit, the things that happened to that poor guy seemed highly unlikely to happen to any of us anytime soon. _I hoped……_

"That's easy for you to say, squirt, everyone loves you…even if you _are_ ADHD. Women look at me and automatically think I am a gold-digging, brain-dead bimbo. No one takes me seriously, ever." Rose said, while still pacing the floor. I was beginning to think she was either going to wear a hole in the floor or at least ignite the carpet from repeated friction. _Well, at least we__ were__ in cahoots with __our__ nearby firemen…_

"Well, Rose, the last time I checked firefighters weren't millionaires, so I don't think anyone is going to think you're a gold-digger…however, a bimbo…" I started giggling.

Rose threw a handful of popcorn at me! I grabbed a handful and threw it back. Alice squealed, giggling uncontrollably, and threw a piece of ice at each of us. Next thing you know, popcorn was scattered all across the floor, pieces of ice that had been flung around the room were melting into tiny puddles, and the three of us were tackling each other right in the middle of the living room. After about ten minutes of wrestling and tickling and poking and pulling hair, my phone rang.

Gasping for breath, I answered, "Hello!" I huffed a few times.

"Well, well, well…am I interrupting some hot and heavy lesbian action over there?" Edward chuckled.

_Oh, you wanna play, do you, Edward?_ "Oh yes, Edward!" I moaned, causing Alice to giggle. "Yes, Alice, just like that! Oh my God! Yes, faster baby!" I moaned even louder and motioned for the girls to join in with me.

Alice was saying, "Yes, baby, Oh God, Oh God!" Rose was saying, "Holy Shit, yes, yes!" and I was saying, "Fuck, that's it, just like that!" _It's a good thing we __were all able__ to act and not start laughing uncontrollably. _

"Fuck, Isabella, you can't get Dick all excited like that when you aren't here to wrap yourself around him and make him feel better. That's not fair. He has feelings, you know." I still couldn't get over the fact that Edward's penis seemed to have its own identity. It was really quite funny the way he referred to him at certain times. I mean…..Dick…really?

"Aww, poor thing. I'm sure you can give him some love for me, can't you?" I giggled.

Edward growled. _Shit, I loved it when he growled, but man,__ that sound __went straight to my ovaries when he did._ "Only if you give yourself some love, too." He tried to sound seductive, but it came off a bit desperate.

"Nice try, Edward, but I'm busy with my lesbian lovers. I don't need to give myself some love, they"ll do it for me." Alice was doubled over laughing at this point. Rose just shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Hey! Here's a thought. You can imagine my girls getting me off and that might just help you with your problem."

I could hear the eye roll in his voice, "I don't need to picture it, Dick already has it playing on a loop, which is why he's nearly busted out of my boxers right now."

"Ok, so either go take a cold shower or do…_something_…about your…issue, but either way, get some sleep and be here bright and early at five freaking thirty to pick me up in the morning." I was smiling and I know Edward could tell. I hated that I couldn't, well, that I couldn't help his problem, but I really needed to get some sleep or I knew that I would never wake up in time.

Edward made sure to sound like a pouting toddler, "Okay, baby. I'll see you in the morning. I love you." _I __could __never hear that enough from that man._

"How much?"

"To the moon and back."

"I love you too, Edward, more than the stars in the sky. I'll see you soon."

"Goodnight my Bella."

"Goodnight my Edward." I said as I giggled.

* * *

The plane ride began uneventfully. The night before I didn't sleep well because, thanks to Rose, I had a dream I was dressed as a Playboy bunny—yes, with the ears and the tail…everything. When we walked in Edward's parents' home, his father was none other than Hugh Hefner. Being faced with Hugh Hefner was enough to wake me up permanently for the rest of the night.

The lack of sleep was the reason I spent the entire flight wrapped in Edward's arms snoozing. He woke me when the pilot came on the intercom and asked the flight attendants to take their seats for landing.

"Wake up Sleeping Bella." He kissed me gently.

"Mmm, don't you mean Beauty?" I grinned with my eyes still closed.

"Bella and Beauty are one in the same, silly, so it works." He kissed me again. "What were you dreaming of, sweetheart?"

I squinted one eye at him, "Why?"

He grinned at me, "Well, you said some…things." _Oh shit, oh shit_.

My eyes bulged, "What _exactly_ did I say?" _Please, God, if you have ever loved me, please don't let me have said __what I think I said__…_

Edward kissed my neck and hummed, "I kind of like making you sweat…" He raised his lips slightly, so that they were even with my ear, "…literally. Are you afraid of what you might have said, Isabella?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"No…why would I be afraid of what I said?"

"Let me rephrase then…what are you afraid that you might have said_?_" He grinned his stupid cocky crooked grin.

"Oh no! No way are you gonna drag that out of me. You tell me first or I will just take it to my grave. Besides, I don't believe you. I didn't even say anything, did I?" I mentally crossed my fingers.

He grinned a Wile E. Coyote grin and pulled me closer to whisper in my ear again. "Well, one thing you said was, 'Your dad is fucking hot, it's no wonder you're so sexy.'"

Instantly my face was as red as a stop sign. _Holy hell, why couldn't my mind keep my mouth shut just this one fucking time?_ I cleared my throat. "Well, I think it's rather obvious what I was dreaming, then, why would I need to elaborate smarty pants?"

His grin got even more wicked, and I literally shuddered with nervousness. "Well, Isabella, that wasn't the _last_ thing you said in your sleep."

_Son of a bitch! Why can't the floor of this plane open up and suck me in?_

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about Edward." But of course, my flaming red fucking cheeks betrayed me…AS USUAL.

And the cocky grin was back. "Oh Isabella, I can't wait for you to meet my father. Once you see how handsome he is, I'm sure every detail of that dream will come back and the mortification will set in…permanently." He chuckled.

Of all the dreams I could have had, of course my sick perverted mind would _have_ to have the worst one possible at the worst time possible. And better yet, my fucking mouth _would_ have to be the one to let Edward know. I hadn't even seen his dad yet and here I was dreaming of a threesome with him? I am a disgusting excuse for a woman. _This __was__ going to be a long weekend._

* * *

We hadn't even made it to baggage claim when I noticed Edward's mom. No, I had never met Esme, but you would have to be a blind person to not be able to pick her out in the crowd. She had the _exact_ same hair color as Edward. She had it cut in a short bob and the top even laid similar to Edward's messy 'sex hair' style. I couldn't help but smile because this woman was stunning and reminded me of a female version of Edward.

When she looked our way her face lit up and she smiled Edward's signature smile. Well, I guess it is actually _Edward_ who smiles _Esme's_ signature smile. She began rushing toward us and the closer she got, the wider her smile got.

She pulled me into a hug. "Oh Bella! It's so nice to finally meet you! I have been so looking forward to this weekend! We are going to have so much fun getting to know each other." She then grabbed me by the elbow and started leading me away.

Edward was following behind us mumbling, "Hi Mom. My how I have missed you! This is my Isabella. Isabella, this is my mother, Esme."

Esme just laughed, "Oh Edward, there is no need to introduce my future daughter-in-law to me!" _Come again?_ "I would recognize her right away. You did a wonderful job describing her, honey." She was then talking to me again, "My boy is captivated by you, my dear! You have taken his heart in your hands. I can't talk to him for five minutes without hearing all about you. He adores you."

Finally able to speak, I said, "I adore him as well, Esme, truly I do."

And she had the floor again. _And I thought Alice was Chatty Cathy…_ "I know this, dear. He has told me how much you spoil him." She leaned in to whisper in my ear, "You need to make sure he spoils _you_ some, honey, or he will start taking advantage of your kindness. He is a man after all."

"Oh Esme, I can assure you, you have raised him very, very well. He is a true gentleman. And he _does_ spoil me, honest. Too much in fact." I smiled up at her.

Edward was behind us pouting. "I guess I should have stayed in Seattle. It appears there is no need for me here."

"Psh, Edward you had to come to keep your father busy. He's at home by the way, grilling steaks. He is planning on an elaborate game of chess with you after dinner."

Edward groaned. "He only insists on playing chess with me because I am the only person he can beat."

"Edward, your father could use the ego boost, so just go along with him, please. You have no idea how humiliating it is to be the smartest man in your circle of friends and not be able to beat any of them at chess." Esme was giggling.

Edward simply said, "He should pick a new game."

This time I giggled with Esme.

* * *

We arrived at the Cullen's house and I would have fallen out of my seat if it was even remotely possible in the back seat of Esme's Bentley. The house was absofreakinglutely huge! It was totally gorgeous. Every type of flower you could imagine grew around the house and the driveway. It looked like a rainbow exploded in her front yard. The trees were even flowering types. _I bet this place is amazing in the spring._

"Esme, it is breathtaking! And you do the landscaping yourself? I am impressed!"

Esme grinned shyly, "Why yes, how do you know?"

"Edward may have told me your beliefs in taking care of your own home." I smiled widely at the amazing woman in front of me.

Edward had told me that even though his parents could afford to hire help they always refused because they liked taking pride in making and keeping their home in their own style.

We made our way into the house. Edward had our bags and Esme grabbed my hand and began pulling me toward the den.

"I want you to make yourself completely at home. If you need anything, don't even hesitate to ask. Treat our home just as you would your own. Oh, and don't worry, you'll be with Edward in his old room on the third floor. I promise you that we cannot hear a thing coming from that room." She elbowed me and grinned slyly.

_Oh my freaking God! Edward's mother did NOT just tell me it was okay to screw him in her house…did she?_

Well, this was definitely different than I had ever imagined. Edward always spoke of his mother as if she were from the Elizabethan Era. He spoke of how she was so elegant and proper. She carried herself as a respectable woman would have during Colonial American times. Never in a million years would I have thought this woman would basically encourage her son's girlfriend to fornicate with him…..in her own house!

Esme made us each a shot of vodka. "Vodka is okay, right?"

I grinned, "That is exactly what I felt like having tonight! Edward told me you have some sort of knack for figuring out what people like to drink, how do you do that?"

I heard a voice that almost as sexy as Edward's coming from somewhere behind us, "Everyone produces an alcohol aura and only Esme can see it." I could hear him chuckling but still couldn't see where he was coming from.

Finally I saw Theias walk into the room. I mean, come on, if Edward was Adonis, then his gorgeous hunk of a father could be none other than Theias, right? I hope our children take after his parents because good God wouldn't they be gorgeous! _Children? What the hell? It's a bit early for that, isn't it?_

As I tried to pick my chin up off of the floor and mutter some form of a greeting to this Greek god, I was trying to figure out a way to get a picture of this DILF, who just happened to be Edward's dad, because honestly…the girls would never believe me without proof. _Well…DILF for everyone else, but not me …right…because that was just a dream…a really stupid dream. I'm changing it now to DTLF—yep… "they" instead of "I"…better, much better…shit, I am pathetic..._

He reached out his hand, "Hello. You must be Bella. I've heard so much about you." _Now was not a good time to start remembering the fucking dream from the plane, but since my brain likes to torment me, of course now was the time I did__,__ in fact__,__ remember the fucking dream._

I fucking stuttered, "Y-y-yes. I'm Bella, and you must be Thei…eh, Carlisle. It's so nice to meet you, Carlisle." _Fuck, I have to get it together. I can't let Edward see me drooling over his dad like a horny teenager. __Not that I'm drooling…_

Carlisle grinned, "It's very nice to meet you as well, Bella. I hope you're hungry. I've been slaving away for hours on our dinner."

Esme lightly slapped his shoulder, "Oh Carlisle, you have done no such thing!" She reached over and pinched his butt and giggled.

"MOM! Please! Can you _**please**_ control yourself while we have company? Just this once? For God's sake!" Edward glanced over at me apologetically. "I'm sorry. You'll have to excuse my mom. Sometimes she's hornier than Emmett." _Hmm…this just might explain why 'Dick' is always raring to go…_

"Edward, honey, we are all mature adults in this room. Why should we have to act as if we are celibate?"

"Oh my God, Mom! I am sure no one thinks anyone is celibate in this room, but do you need to flaunt how…um… _active_ you are? Geez! Come on, Isabella, let me take you on a tour of the house before my mom tries to compare sexual positions with you." The funny thing was that I am pretty sure Edward was serious…and that scared the fuck out of me. Even my own mother wasn't _this_ open about sex…

* * *

Edward took me on a tour of the house…or rather mansion, because honestly, we could have played a mean game of hide and go seek in this house and never ever be found. Edward made sure to save _our_ room for last. I walked in and it took my breath away. The room was huge. One whole wall was glass, but what was so breathtaking about it was that it looked out over the most beautiful meadow I had ever seen. Right in the middle of the meadow there was a large pond that had a dock going out to the middle of it. Beside the dock was a paddle boat.

I grinned at Edward. "Paddle boat? Seriously? I absolutely love paddle boats!"

He pulled me back against his chest and rested his chin on my shoulder. "Well then, we'll have to take it for a spin before we leave tomorrow. I'd love to take you out on the pond anyway. That is one of my most favorite places in the world."

I turned around to face him, still in his arms, and kissed him. "Anywhere with you is my most favorite place in the world."

Edward took me around his room. He showed me the pictures on his wall. He had a picture of his first bike ride that apparently ended pretty roughly. He was bleeding on one knee, had dirt on his face and his shirt was torn, but he was smiling a goofy toothless grin. I giggled at that picture. There was a picture of his high school graduation. He was standing with Emmett. Emmett must have worn his gown with nothing on underneath because you could see his hairy legs from under the gown…especially the right side that he had hiked up nearly to his hips. _Same old Emmett…_

There were quite a few more pictures but most of them were normal pictures of achievements he had made. The one that brought a tear to my eye was the one in front of the fire station with a plaque that said Fire Chief. His mom and dad had their arms around his shoulders and Esme was crying. You could see so much pride in her face. I reached up and ran my fingers across her smile.

"That is my favorite one. Mom couldn't stop crying even long enough to take the picture. She said never in her life had she been more proud of me." Edward had a faraway look in his eyes and he was smiling.

He pulled me over and we sat on his bed while he talked about all the different things that had happened in this house. We sat there for nearly an hour when we heard a timid knock on the door.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt any _activities_ you guys might have going on, but dinner's ready. I thought you should know." Esme was speaking as quickly as possible.

"Mom, it's unlocked. There are no _activities_ going on for your information." Edward was shaking his head.

Then, the woman made me want to curl up and die. "Well, Edward, I just kind of expected you to finally christen your bed now that you finally have a female in there." _Oh my God, she didn't! Wait…Edward ha__d __never had a girl in his room?_

I glanced at him curiously and could tell he was mortified. "Mother! Are you determined to embarrass the ever loving shit out of me? My God! Please go away!" He looked over to me, his face as red as a fire hydrant, and said, "I am so sorry, yet again. You will probably never want to come and visit my parents again. I wish I could say she isn't normally this way, but my mother's mind has been in the gutter for the last ten years…actually, maybe even longer than that, but I never noticed until I started understanding the concept of sex. This is so humiliating."

I smirked at him, "But your mother said you've never had a girl in this room. Why is that, Edward?"

He stood up, grabbed my hand and said, "Let's go eat." He was hiding something. I wasn't going to let this go. _Yes, I am bad…so__ very__ bad._

I stayed seated on the bed and raised my eyebrows. "Is there something you're hiding Edward? Why are you suddenly uncomfortable with the discussion of girls in your room? You weren't _gay_ were you?" I acted like I was scared to consider that possibility, even though I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he only had eyes for women. But this was so much fun!

"What? NO! Of course not, don't be silly. Wait…why would you say something like that? You don't really believe that, do you?" He looked truly concerned. It took everything I had not to laugh.

"Well, there has to be _something_ you are hiding. What is it, Edward?"

"It's nothing, really, Isabella, can we please just go eat dinner?" He wouldn't look me in the eye and I knew it had to be something, but I just couldn't put my finger on what it could possibly be. In all honesty, I was starting to worry about what it might be.

"Suddenly, I'm not hungry, Edward. I think I'd like to sit here." I said stubbornly.

He sighed heavily. "Fine. My mother was right, I've never had a girl in my room because…well, because…IwasavirginuntilIwastwentyone." He said it really fast, but I still understood what he said.

"Oh my God! Are you serious?" He wouldn't look me in the eye. He was staring at the floor as if he was ashamed. I walked over and touched his cheek. "Edward…why are you ashamed of that? That is the most admirable…I just…wow! I've never met a man that held out that long! You should be proud, Edward, not embarrassed."

Edward was now looking at me, but he was still skeptical. "You don't…you don't think it's…weird?"

"God no! I wish more men waited that long! I would, however, like to know your reasons behind it, though." I grinned crookedly at him.

"Well, I wish I could say it was because I had these great morals and wanted to wait until I found the woman I was going to marry. But the honest truth was that I couldn't stand any of the girls I went to high school with. They were all a bunch of skanky nitwits. It wasn't until I went to college that I found someone I _thought_ I was going to have a relationship with." He grinned at me, "The bad thing about waiting so long is that by then there weren't any virgin girls left and I basically…um…came on contact…ruining my chances for a repeat with her." He laughed sarcastically.

I pulled him closer to me, putting my hands in his back pockets and kissed his neck. "Well, lucky for both of us you don't have _that_ problem anymore, huh?" I wiggled my eyebrows and smiled at him.

"Well, I have to admit, the first time with you, it took everything I had not to have a replay, because damn woman…it was pretty fucking amazing with you." He was smiling a big toothy grin.

I pulled away. "Ok, enough talk about sex, come on, let's go eat!"

I heard him mumble as he walked toward his door, "Unfortunately I doubt this will end the sex talks in _this_ house."

* * *

Edward was right. His mother couldn't go fifteen minutes without making some kind of sexual innuendo. It was so odd because his dad just took it all in stride. He was never affected by the things she would say—whether about _their_ sex life or about _our_ no longer secretive sex life. No matter how much Esme tried to convince me that it was a natural, beautiful thing (not that I didn't think it _was_ natural or beautiful, but it **isn't** natural or beautiful to talk about it with your boyfriend's parents) I still sunk deeper and deeper into my seat with every comment. I might have been eating on the floor by the time dinner was finished, I honestly wasn't sure.

Fortunately for Edward, but unfortunately for me, after dinner the men went to play chess. Esme and I began cleaning the kitchen and dining room. I was a nervous wreck thinking her sexual conversations would get worse without the guys present, but actually, they quit altogether.

I ended up completely enjoying the time I spent with Esme. She told me so much about Edward as a child and I couldn't help but smile the whole time. Without even realizing it, my mind started to think about what our children would be like. I had never thought of having children before Edward and I can't say that I was ready to start now. But the idea of having a family with him seemed so…natural. The thought of Esme and Carlisle being the grandparents warmed my heart incredibly. _At least the kid would have __**two**__ normal grandparents…__…well, kind of…._

* * *

Esme and I finally joined Carlisle and Edward in the den after we were finished cleaning up. We talked for hours, the four of us. After their game, the guys joined us for drinks. Finally, around midnight Edward insisted we had been awake for far too long and we headed up to his room.

I started to grab my overnight bag when I asked Edward where the nearest bathroom was so I could clean up for bed. Edward grinned a wicked grin and pulled me by the hand toward what I thought was a closet. He opened the door and it was actually a bathroom, and on the far wall was a giant Jacuzzi. _Edward had a Jacuzzi in his bathroom and he never had a girl in here? Holy hell, this man is a keeper!_

He walked over and started the water and turned on the jets. Slowly, he turned toward me and started unbuttoning his button-fly jeans. _Did I ever mention how incredibly sexy he looked in button-fly jeans? Because he totally does…__wait…__but not as sexy as he looks taking them __**off**_.

I started to unbutton my jeans and he shook his head. I looked at him strangely. He had finished unbuttoning his pants and began sliding them down his legs, never looking away from me. He kicked them off and slowly lifted his shirt over his head. Standing there in just his boxer briefs looking incredibly edible he curled his finger motioning me to walk toward him. Of course I obeyed.

Once I was within arms reach he grabbed the hem of my shirt, but didn't pull it over my head. Instead he pulled me closer and kissed me passionately. He then slowly trailed his fingers up my sides until he grazed my bare breasts. He briefly looked shocked, but quickly recovered. He began to tease my nipples and I closed my eyes. He leaned in as if to kiss me again, but simply rested his forehead on mine.

I reached out to grab the band of his boxers but he pulled his hips back slightly. I opened my eyes and he smiled the tiniest bit. Edward kissed me again, but this time agonizingly slow. Finally, he pulled away and lifted my shirt over my head. He unbuttoned my jeans and gently tugged them down my legs. He had knelt down in front of me and rested the side of his face against my stomach with his arms wrapped around my waist. He hummed and whispered, "I am so glad you are the only woman I have ever brought in here. I love you so much my Bella." He turned his head and kissed my belly button then looked up at me and smiled. "Now, come on, let's see how many places we can christen before we go back to Seattle."

* * *

Edward and I made love in his Jacuzzi until we both began to shrivel like prunes, which turned out to be not so sexy. We dried off and made our way to his bed where it seemed we couldn't keep our hands off of each other yet again.

Once we were exhausted and couldn't keep our eyes opened for another second, we fell asleep in each other's arms. I had a wonderful dream where Edward and I had two beautiful children. We came to visit his parents and while we were here all six of us played a wonderful game of hide and go seek and Carlisle won. The dream had me so happy that I woke up with a huge smile on my face.

* * *

Edward and I spent most of the day outside of the Cullen's house exploring the property and just having fun. He took me on the paddle boat and the entire time I couldn't stop thinking that I would cherish this memory forever. His parents joined us for much our fun, but we had some privacy as well. Our flight home was at four, so we headed to the airport slightly before two.

Having barely spent 24 hours with them, I was surprised to feel melancholy upon leaving. I was shocked when Esme wiped a tear, not because Edward was leaving, but because _I_ was. "You have to come back for a visit real soon, Bella. Don't make me wait until Christmas to see you." She smiled a watery smile then leaned in to whisper, "You can start calling me Mom if you are comfortable. I know it won't be long before you are my daughter, and I will be honored to be your Mother-in-law." Of course then all of a sudden it was me having to wipe away a tear. I hugged her forcefully and when I pulled away I felt the way I _should_ feel when I hugged my mother goodbye. S_he had to have meant like in several years, right? Yeah, that was what she meant…I wasn't going to think about it right now because it was just such a kind thing for her to say…_

Our four-hour flight back was spent in constant conversation. We talked about everything that happened at his parents' house. Then I told him what his mother said to me upon our departure.

Edward had a look of amazement when he responded. "She really said that? Isabella, she has never asked _anyone_ to call her Mom…not even Emmett—and she thinks of him as her son! Oh my God, this is huge!" He looked out the window as if he was contemplating something, then grinned, shook his head and kissed my temple.

* * *

Edward drove me back to my place once we arrived in Seattle. I promised to see him Monday after my shift and before he started his three days at the station. Why did three days now seem like an eternity?

I walked into the house and it was oddly silent. I knew the girls were home, so the silence unnerved me. I walked into the living room to find Rosalie sprawled out on the couch asleep and Alice curled in a ball at her feet. She reminded me of a Pomeranian the way she was curled up with her spiky hair covering Rose's feet. I laughed out loud at which point Alice jumped up and ran at me with her usual 'Alice squeal' saying something I couldn't quite understand.

"Slow down, Alice, I don't speak squirrel."

Alice huffed, "I am too happy to even acknowledge that remark." _Why do people insist on saying that…do they not realize that they just __**did**__ acknowledge the remark?_ "I had the best time with Jazzy's parents, Belichi! Oh, his mom is the best!"

Rose had since woken up thanks to Alice's shrieking. "Alice, you need to speak up. I don't think the dogs in New York heard you," she grumbled.

"Rose has some news to share, don't you Rose? Come on, tell her, tell her!" Alice was literally bouncing and clapping her hands.

"Calm down spazz hamster. Maybe _Bella_ has something to share. Do you?" She grinned wickedly.

"What would I possibly have to share?" I honestly had no idea what she was talking about, but she seemed intent on me having a secret for some reason.

"You just look…awestruck…or something. Nothing excited happened? Really?" Rose looked at me questionably.

"No…well, unless you count how Edward's mom constantly had her mind in the gutter and she asked me to call her Mom." I mumbled the last part quickly and extremely quiet. Apparently, not quiet enough for squirrels to miss.

"She what? Oh my God! What did you say?" Alice's eyes were as big as teacups.

I told them about our parting and how I cried leaving her in a way that I _should_ cry leaving my own mother but don't. Of course they assured me it was because I had always been the parent in that relationship and it was to be expected. It still didn't make me feel better.

Then I remembered Rose and immediately asked her about her news. Rose's face actually lit up. It creeped me the fuck out. Rose doesn't light up…like _ever._

"Oh, you won't believe this Belly! Emmett's mom used to be a supermodel. Like a full-fledged runway model. That woman is drop-dead gorgeous! We talked for hours today and she told me she was so impressed with the way I carry myself and the fact that I have not used my looks to better myself but in fact became a doctor to make others feel better about _themselves._"

Rose was speaking excitedly…another non-Rose action. "She told me that she used her looks many times to acquire something of importance and that now she regrets having degraded herself and not regarding her body as something precious." Rose smiled and shook her head. "I've never met anyone as remorseful but also confidant as that woman. I definitely admire her."

We spoke of our times with the 'rents and we each had come home with something eminent to report and ponder on. Alice wasn't as shocked with hers. She already 'knew' she was going to be part of Jasper's family, so when his mother said she suspected they would soon be married, Alice simply told the woman she agreed and they began planning the wedding as if the date had already been set—which in Alice's eyes it had been. _Silly Bella, doubts are for critics._

* * *

I briefly spoke to Edward before I went to bed. He told me once again how big of a deal his mother's request was to which I giggled and told him what a big deal it was to me and how much I was already beginning to love her. I could hear the pride in his voice when he told me how happy he was that the two most important women in his world already well down the path of loving each other.

_If only I could be so lucky and have the two most important men in my world love each other as quickly. Unfortunately, that __was__ highly unlikely with the father I __that I had__._

**Ok, so…next chapter, of course is EPOV, but remember, he doesn't reiterate what BPOV is anymore…so you DEFINITELY want a teaser from the next chapter!! Review and I will give you one ;-)**

**One more thing. I have started a thread in the evil TwilightedZone. If you dare to venture over there, I will answer questions you have, if any, as long as they aren't 'secret' *grin***

**This, too, is on my profile or: www(dot)twilighted(dot)net/forum/viewtopic(dot)php?t=6698**


	16. Chapter 16

**This was my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE chapter to write! I really had a blast writing it, so I hope you have as much fun reading it!**

**I have quite a few thanks to go out tonight. I asked for quotes and I was given plenty! So I would like to thank the following people:**

**Corinne 22 for the Dan in Real Life quote**

**Alitriona for the American Pie quote**

**hexumhunnie311 for Madagascar PENGUINS quote (we lurve the penguins!!)**

**shereebedee for the Meet the Parents "Ass hoooooole" quote**

**As usual, my amazing betas, SBA and AS012345678—you guys are the jiggle in my Jell-O!**

**And most of all, I would like to thank my hubby. He isn't reading this yet, but so much of the funny and quirky phrases I use come from him. He is ecstatic to be "famous" for his goofy little phrases. Thank you baby! I love you!**

**SM owns, I just intimidate them with Charlie's shotgun!**

EPOV

I was excited for my parents to meet Bella. I knew they that would love her just as much as I did. However, she was a nervous wreck and I couldn't figure out why. Granted, I had never been in a relationship where I was asked to meet the parents, but I still did not understand the anxiety behind it.

My mom was beyond ecstatic. She had made all kinds of plans and I had to remind her several times that we weren't even going to be there for 48 hours. She desperately tried to get me to change our plans, but I had to let her know that our schedules would not permit it.

The visit hadn't been a disaster. Quite the opposite actually. However, I was happy for the short visit because Mom became a little too comfortable a little too fast. The more comfortable Mom gets, the more…well, the more liberties she takes with her conversations. Dinner was proof of that. Fifteen full minutes hadn't even gone by before she started speaking of sex, and she proceeded to do so about every fifteen minutes after that. And Dad? Evidently Dad was enjoying watching me squirm because he didn't do anything about Mom. Anytime I looked to him for help, he just grinned. I could almost hear him saying, "Just smile and wave, boys, smile and wave."

That's not to say I didn't enjoy our time at my parents' house. I definitely did. I enjoyed playing chess with my father. I enjoyed the fact that Mom and Bella got along remarkably well—I honestly had expected nothing less. But I really, really enjoyed 'christening' my Jacuzzi…and my bed…and my desk…and yes, the paddle boat. The paddle boat was a challenge…especially since we weren't hidden from view. I somehow knew we wouldn't get caught when Mom and Dad abruptly left during a conversation about goose feathers. _I will never look at a goose the same way again…__ not a thought I want in my head__!_

As we were leaving, I was shocked to see Bella in tears while she was hugging my mother. I would have been worried, but I could tell by the looks on their faces it wasn't anything to be concerned with. They were simply crying because they didn't want the visit to end. However, what Bella told me on the plane completely astounded me. I mean, I could tell Mom had already started to care for Bella, but to tell her to call her Mom? That was just…well, the best feeling in the world. Bella was quickly taking the spot as the most important woman in my life and my mother had always had that spot, so knowing that my mother had accepted her with her whole heart was just the most amazing thing ever. I made sure to let her know this, but I'm not sure she really believed the extent of it.

* * *

So now here we were, two weeks later. I had insisted on meeting her father—meeting her mother wasn't feasible at the time. Bella was even more nervous about this meeting than she had been about meeting my parents. I couldn't understand this. I hadn't worried one bit about her meeting my parents, I knew they were going to love her. _Did she have doubts about me?_

We left Friday afternoon and began the three-and-a-half hour trip. The ride was comfortable. We listened to music and played several road games—Road Scavenger Hunt was our favorite. As soon as we passed the sign that said "Welcome to Forks" the atmosphere in the car shifted tremendously and I could feel the tension in the car. _Did that__ sign __seriously just say 'population 3,175'?_

"Isabella, why are you so nervous, baby?"

"Edward, you just don't understand. My dad…well…he's very protective of me. The only hope I have is that you're a firefighter. He might cut you some slack for that reason, but I doubt it." She honest to God looked worried to death. I thought she was just being silly.

We pulled up in front of her dad's small two-story house and immediately I knew what she had been afraid of. Her dad stood on the front porch dressed in his uniform with a shotgun in his hand. If looks could kill, I would be dead…hell, my children's children would be dead. Dick started to whimper and tried desperately to crawl back to the car. _Oh no, fuckstick, if I have to endure this, so do you, get your ass back over here._

I opened Bella's door for her. Usually she didn't wait for me to open it, but she seemed to be frozen to her seat. Her eyes were closed and she was mumbling something about 'I'll never ask for another thing as long as I live.' _Was__ she praying?_ I grasped her hand and pulled her toward me into a hug, but she quickly shoved me backward with eyes as big as teacups and whispered menacingly, "If you cherish your life, you will keep your hands to yourself until I say otherwise…promise me Edward!" _Son of a bitch, what have I gotten myself into?_

"Ok Isabella, you are starting to scare me." Dick questioned my admission of 'starting to' because he had long since climbed onto the 'frightened as fuck' bandwagon and was wondering why I was taking so long to join him.

"Just trust me Edward. Things will be okay, but you have to follow my lead." She gave me a weak smile.

I grabbed our bags out of the trunk and began walking toward Dirty Harry very cautiously. _Did I say VERY cautiously?_

Charlie…er Mr….er Chief Swan—_what the fuck do I call him anyway?_—never took his eyes off of me. He never said a word. I was not even sure he was breathing.

Bella walked up to him and quietly said, "Hi Daddy. I missed you." She tentatively reached toward him to hug him. His face softened and he pulled her into a hug.

"Sweetheart! God I have missed you, too." He kissed her on the cheek and without missing a beat looked right back at me—evil look back in place—and said, "Is this him?"

Bella lightly slapped his chest. _Oh my God! Don't egg him on, Bella, for the love of God!_ "Yes, Daddy, this is Edward. Please behave. He means a lot to me."

Still looking me in the eye, he told Bella to get us a beer, but he didn't move a muscle. The only muscle of mine that could move was Dick…and for the first time ever since meeting Bella all he wanted to do was get away from her.

Her dad motioned for me to have a seat in one of the chairs on the porch. I really didn't want to sit down because for some reason I felt like I was going to witness my own execution. However, not wanting to ruffle any feathers—_great, now I am thinking of fucking feathers again_—I did as he asked.

"So…Edmund is it?" Surely this was a joke. _Please God tell me she __had__ at least told this man my name more than once, otherwise this __was __not going to end well._

"Edward, sir. It's actually Edward." I was almost sure I saw his mustache twitch.

He gruffly said, "Whatever." Then he just sat there. I waited…and waited. _Where the hell is Bella? How long does it take to get two beers?_ I started to wonder if maybe that had been some code for 'Leave us alone so I can castrate him before he impregnates you' and if so, why the hell would she go along with it? _I __was__ so fucked._

I decided I had to break the ice. "So…uh…Chief Swan, Isabella tells me you have been a chief for 33 years. You must enjoy it to have done it for so many years, huh?"

"Why do you call my daughter Isabella?" _Okay…_

"Well, sir, I explained to Isa—your daughter that she has been called Bella her entire life and I wanted her to know that when I called her Bella, I was telling her that she was beautiful." _I_ thought it was a very sweet gesture, but…well, apparently Charlie didn't share the same opinion.

"So, are you telling me you don't _always_ think my daughter is beautiful?" _OH for fuck's sake, how the hell __was__ I supposed to answer that?_

"Quite the contrary, sir. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He scoffed at this comment. "I just want her to realize it as well, and I think the name has lost its meaning to her."

"Are you trustworthy, Edward?" Suddenly I pictured Robert De Niro telling me I was now in the Byrnes family circle of trust. With that thought, Dick started chanting, "Ass hooooooole! Ass hooooooole!"

"Yes, sir, I'd like to think you can trust me." Dick was saying, "Yeah, while I am fucking your daughter!" while he laughed evilly.

"I am not worried about being able to trust you. It is my baby girl I'm worried about being able to trust you. Has she told you about Jake?" That name caused me to growl unintentionally. When I did, I swear I saw Chief Swan smirk.

"Yes, sir. Isabella told me about that fleabag. And you have to know, sir, I would never, ever do anything like that to _any_ woman! Especially not Isabella. Sir…I…I love her. With all of my heart."

I looked up and couldn't believe my eyes. Chief Swan wasn't looking at me anymore. He had glanced across the street, but he had tears in his eyes and he was nodding his head. He slowly looked at me—his intimidating look had completely disappeared. "I like you Edward…I like you a lot. But that doesn't mean I won't be watching you. She is my baby girl. She's all I have left. I will do my best to never let another man hurt her. The only reason Jake is still alive is because Bella threatened to stay far away from me if I ever hurt him. It's not that she cares for him…she doesn't want me to lose my badge…or worse, go to prison. But, I'm telling you with all of my being that she can't keep me from reacting if it were to happen again." He looked at me sternly, but in a caring manner.

I looked at him with as much honesty as I could portray, "Sir, I give you my word. I will be faithful to your daughter as long as I am in her life…as long as she will allow me."

"I appreciate that, son. More than you will ever know….and I will hold you to it. By the way Edward, you can call me Charlie." He grinned at me letting me know he had known my name all along. I finally shook his hand for the first time. He squeezed it a little bit harder than was necessary and he looked at me smugly.

Bella walked out right after our handshake. I quirked an eyebrow at her. _That was a bit of perfect timing, no?_

She handed us both a beer and I could tell she was trying to weigh his mood. All he did was look her in the eye and she breathed a sigh of relief. Dick looked up at me, "Does that mean we aren't going down to Chinatown?" _Ok, Dick, enough of the 'Meet the Parents' quotes already._

Bella sat in the chair on the other side of her dad and scooted close to him as she put her head on his shoulder. He reached his hand over and laid it on her knee with a quick pat while taking a drink of his beer with his other hand. It was a strange relationship. She had been a nervous wreck with just the thought of this meeting, yet I got the distinct impression that his approval meant the world to her. This made me think that maybe the whole anxiety issue was based on her fear of not living up to his expectations. I realized that I needed to work twice as hard to make this man like me if for no other reason than to put her mind at ease…though making sure he kept the safety on his gun was another really good reason.

"What would you like for supper tonight?" Bella asked her dad with a smile.

"Aww, Bells, anything you cook is better than what I've been eating. Make whatever you want baby girl."

* * *

Bella suggested we take a tour of her teeny town— the town with the population of only 3,175. We needed to run to the grocery because apparently Charlie's fridge was filled with bachelor foods only—you know, ketchup, beer, mustard, beer, spoiled milk and…yeah, beer.

It took us a whopping fifteen minutes to tour Forks before we ended up at Thriftway. I had never been grocery shopping with Bella before and she seemed to be in her element. I just strolled along beside her captivated by her proficiency in the aisles of the store.

We were standing in the produce aisle and I couldn't take not touching her any more, so I came up behind her, wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Mmm, can I have my dinner right…" I bit her earlobe, "here?" She giggled and pulled slightly away.

"I'm sorry Edward. I know it's been awkward in front of my dad, but I wasn't sure how he would react after…well…Jake was the last guy…the _only_ guy my dad ever saw me in a relationship with. He really cared a lot for Jacob. He was best friends with his dad before he died and he watched Jake and I grow up together. It bothered him so bad when we split up and he thought it was all my doing. Once he found out what really happened he blamed himself. He said he should have known. As my father, he should have been more aware of the type of man I brought into his house. So, you see…I was scared to death how he was going to 'size you up' and I didn't quite know what to expect.

"I knew he would have to do the shotgun threat…that's his favorite thing. But I didn't know what would happen after that. He really likes you, you know? I can tell. He won't let _you_ know that for quite some time, but trust me, he already does." She had twisted around to look me in the eye while she was talking, so when she finished I leaned down to kiss her. I hadn't tasted her lips since we left Seattle earlier but it felt like I had been in the desert for days without water.

I couldn't help it, my instinct—with a small amount of help from Dick—took over and I pulled her into my aching cock and moaned. She cleared her throat and pulled back, looking at me like a teacher who caught a kid cheating on a test.

"Edward, you need to put him on a leash. When we are with my dad, you cannot hang out with your wang out. He will totally penile-ize you!" She started laughing hysterically and that caused me to laugh at her silly play on words. _I love__d__ how she __could__ take something so serious and make me laugh._ Dick was dry heaving though with thoughts of a penectomy via shotgun.

* * *

We headed back to Bella's dad's house. Dick had since turned into a blubbering mess, mumbling something about not wanting to die without having been in a brown eye. _Wow, he even managed to make it rhyme…_

I helped her cook dinner—it was so nice watching her when she was 'in the zone' which she obviously was when it came to a kitchen. I almost felt like I was intruding when I was near her. I offered to help but she told me I was a guest and I was only allowed to watch. I reminded her that _she_ was now a guest as well to which she replied, "You are never a guest in your parent's house, silly."

The food was delicious and her father complimented her nearly every bite. She laughed and asked him how long it had been since he had a home-cooked meal.

"Well, Sue Clearwater has been coming by a couple times a week and bringing me dinner." I glanced up and Charlie was fucking blushing! _What the hell __was__ that all about?_

Bella's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Dad? Sue? Are you guys like dating now?" She was grinning ear to ear.

"No, no. It's nothing like that, Bells. She just knows I don't eat well so she brings food for me. We are just friends." However, he suddenly wouldn't look her in the eye—something he had been doing all night.

"Daddy…it's okay if you like Sue. She's a wonderful woman. It is about time you found yourself a nice woman. I don't like you being alone, Daddy. You need someone to look after you."

"Hmph. I can look after myself. I sure as hell don't need a woman to do that for me." His face remained calm even though his words sounded harsh.

"Well, I like Sue, and I am inviting her over for dinner tomorrow. We will talk about how you're going to ask her out on a date later. Right now, I'm going to clean this place up. When was the last time you dusted around here?"

And just like that Bella took control. She started cleaning in the kitchen and when I came to join her she swatted my hands away and told me to go watch 'whatever sport Dad is into tonight' and enjoy myself.

Charlie seemed to be lost in thought and I didn't want to bother him so it took me by surprise when he started a conversation with me.

"You know that feeling in your heart? When your heart is just pounding, like it's actually outside your ribs. Exposed, vulnerable, but wonderful and awful, and heartsick, and alive, all at the same time?"

I gawked at him and being the super intelligent man that I am, I blurted out the first thing that came to me, "Dude, did you just quote Dan in Real Life?" _Nice brain filter there…_

Charlie just stared at me for a second and I started to backtrack when he chuckled and said, "Yeah, I guess I did."

"Well, sir, yes, I know that exact feeling. That is exactly how I feel about your daughter." I told him.

He grinned and said, "Between you and me son, that's how I feel about Sue, but I haven't dated since before Bella's mom and to be quite frank…I'm scared shitless." He scrunched up his nose to make his point.

I nodded, "Yeah, I can totally relate to that. Isabella is the first person I have ever had feelings for and it was pretty scary to just hand my heart over to someone else and hope for the best…although now I completely trust her with it."

"Yeah, Bells is pretty amazing. You just make sure you take care of hers as well, because I couldn't bear to see her heart broken again." He looked over at me out of the corner of his eye, "But I have a good feeling about you. I think you have your head in the right place."

"Sir, I don't ever want to hurt Isabella. I would give anything to take back what Jake did. I hate that he hurt her. I hope to God no one ever hurts her again. I will do everything in my power to keep her from ever getting hurt again. And just between me and you sir," I grinned and lowered my voice, "I hope to marry her someday."

"Well, now, that's enough with that 'sir' stuff there, Edward. I feel like we're friends, so we can lose the formalities. As for marrying her…" He took a deep breath and my stomach dropped. In a shaky voice he continued, "Well, when the time comes…you have my blessing, Edward." And with that he reached out and firmly shook my hand. He blinked his eyes quickly, cleared his throat and looked back at the television.

_Oh my God…did I really just ask Bella's dad for her hand in marriage? And for fuck's sake, did he really just say 'yes' to me?_

Bella finally joined us and I noticed she sat across the room even though there was an empty seat beside me. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to be able to survive a whole weekend in the same house with her and not be able to touch her. I mean, hell, I was just given permission to marry her and I couldn't even sit beside her.

Just then Charlie amazed me by saying, "Bells, why don't you come over here and join Edward and me on the couch. I'm sure he would appreciate your company better if he didn't have to shout, don't you think?"

Bella looked completely surprised, but she smiled widely and ran—yes, ran—over to sit between us. She wrapped her arms around Charlie and said, "I love you, Daddy! Thank you so much for accepting Edward. I just knew you guys would get along. I am so happy! This is more than I could have ever asked for." She reached over and pulled me closer to her so she had her arm around each of us and she let out a heavy sigh. "The two guys I love the most…" While Dick said, "What am I, chopped liver?"

* * *

We sat with Charlie for a few hours longer and Bella kept her arms wrapped around us both. Around 10:00 Charlie stretched, leaned over and kissed her on the cheek and said, "I'm hitting the hay, sweetheart. I'll see you when I get home tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure Daddy! Any special dinner you would like for me to make for you and Sue?" She grinned wickedly.

"Aww, Bells. You really want her to come?" He looked worried.

"Of course! She has been taking care of my dad, the least I can do is repay her _one_ dinner."

"Fine, fine. She loves veal parmesan if that's something you'd like to make." Then, as if he just realized he slipped, Charlie's face lit up like fire and his eyes bulged. His blush put Bella's to shame!

"Veal it is. I love you, Daddy." She looked as if she was holding back a laugh when she reached up and kissed him.

I stood up, "It was a pleasure to meet you si—uh Charlie." I reached out to shake his hand, but Bella pulled us both into a hug and Charlie actually put his arm around my shoulder, so I reciprocated.

"Good night, son." He looked sternly between the two of us, "You two behave yourselves, now…I don't want to wake up and hear no hanky panky, now."

All of the blood drained from my face…and guess where it all gathered? _Fuck, Dick…even old fogey fuck phrases get you excited, huh?_

_Hmm, nice use of alliteration there Cullen._

Charlie went up the stairs and Bella turned toward me with a giant smile, "Edward, oh my God! My father loves you! I mean, he really, really loves you! He has never called anyone 'son' ever! Not even my cousin, Randall, who was the 'son he always wanted'! This is huge, Edward!" She pulled me close and kissed the shit out of me.

When we broke apart I said, "Does that mean I get my hanky panky now?" I was grinning like a fool.

She slapped me on my chest and said, "Is that all you think about? You are incorrigible"

I pretended to pout and hung my head. "It's not my fault. It's Dick. His sexual appetite is insatiable."

Bella giggled and took me by the hand and led me out the back door.

"Where are we going? I am afraid of the dark." I slowed down.

"You are not, you liar. Come on, I want to show you something."

We walked for about ten minutes until we came upon a tiny building. It looked like a cabin, but it was more the size of a small playhouse.

I cocked my head and pursed my lips.

"My dad made this for me for my tenth birthday. He told me it was my 'home away from home' and where I could go if I needed a break from him. It is still on his property, so he didn't have to worry about me, but it gave me space. I used to spend a lot of time out here."

I opened the door of the small house and peeked in. It was so cute and…homey. There was a small cot in one corner. A table and chair in the other corner. The back wall was covered with a huge painted black swan. The left wall was covered with a purple sunset, and the right wall was a purple moonlit night.

I turned around to see Bella standing there wringing her hands and biting her lip.

I walked up to her quickly and pulled her into a hug. "What's the matter?"

"Well, I just have never showed anyone my paintings before and I wasn't sure that you would like them."

"Shit, you painted these? Are you serious? They are amazing, absolutely amazing!" I held her face in my hands and gently kissed her. "You really have never brought anyone out here? Not even your parents?"

"Ha! _Especially_ not my parents! This was the one place I had all to myself. They never bothered me out here and I never invited them."

I wondered though. Her father was a cop. She was a teenager. Surely he didn't let a teenager have a place all to herself and never check on her. But, he would have had to be amazingly secretive to see these magnificent pictures and never say anything to her. I know I never could.

"How come you've never showed them to him now that you're an adult? I'm sure your dad would love to see these, baby. I've never seen anything so beautiful…well," I kissed her again, "with the exception of you my _Bella_."

* * *

We hung out in her 'playhouse' for a while talking and kissing and laughing. Around midnight we walked slowly back to the house holding hands, stopping every now and then just to hold each other.

"I really enjoyed seeing the places where you grew up. I wish I could have known you when you were younger. I bet you were the cutest little girl…" I pinched her waist.

"Oh no, no! You're lucky you didn't see me earlier. I was scrawny and horribly bucktoothed. Then when I was thirteen I got braces and then I was a scrawny braceface."

"Aww, baby, I bet you were still adorable." I pulled her to me and kissed her again, making sure to run my tongue across her perfectly straight teeth. I pulled away and grinned, "Though I would definitely like to thank your orthodontist for making your mouth so much more kissable."

"You are such a goofball, Edward!" She laughed.

* * *

Thanks to Charlie's 'hanky panky' warning, we slept in different rooms…namely, Bella slept in her bed and I slept on the couch. This caused a bit of a problem the next morning when Charlie was putting on his gun belt beside the couch and Dick was already awake (thanks to a great little dream that took place in Bella's 'playhouse').

I sat up as soon as I realized how close Charlie was to me. I snuck a peek at him and though he wasn't looking in my eyes, he was smirking. I cleared my throat, "Good morning, Charlie. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes I did, thank you, Edward." I swear it sounded like he then mumbled, "Not as well as you did, obviously." He turned towards me and grinned, "How about you? That couch wasn't too uncomfortable, was it?"

"No, actually, it was more comfortable than mine and a _whole lot_ more comfortable than that dang bunk at the fire station."

"I can imagine. There were a few times when I was too tired to come home from work and I crashed on one of the bunks at the station and boy did my back hurt the next day!" He shook his head.

"They definitely aren't made for comfort, that's for sure." I laughed.

"Well, Edward, I have to head to work, so I'll see you this evening for dinner." He patted me on the shoulder and headed out the door.

As soon as I was sure he was gone, I crept up the stairs. After peeking in to see if Bella was still asleep, I headed to the bathroom. After I brushed my teeth, I snuck back into her bedroom and laid down beside her, pulling her close to my chest.

"Mmm, good morning." She mumbled groggily. Groggy or not, Dick reacted to her voice the same way a snake reacts to the charmer's flute. And of course, she felt him.

"Edward, for God's sake, don't they have medicine for that?" She laughed and elbowed me in the gut.

"Even if they did, I would never take it. I kinda like what you do to me." I purposely jabbed her ass roughly.

She pulled away from me as quick as humanely possibly and headed toward the bathroom. Looking over her shoulder she said, "You better help him out because we still have 24 hours before we head back to Seattle."

I whined, "Aww, you're serious? I have to wait until we go back to Seattle? We are wasting alone time right this minute."

Her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Are you crazy? I am not having sex in my father's house! My dad has some sort of sixth sense or some shit. He knew exactly when I had my first kiss, exactly when I smoked my first joint, and exactly when I lost my virginity. There is no way I am taking any chances. Sorry about your luck, mister!"

I hung my head and pouted. _Well, Dick, looks like it's just you and me today…_ We both rolled our eyes.

I shouted down the hall, "You better make it up to me then!"

She shouted back, "And then some!" That was enough to make me smile…and Dick to do his happy dance.

* * *

The day went by quicker than I expected. Bella kept me pretty busy. She wanted to get a lot of things done that she felt her dad had neglected, so I offered to help. She gave me a list and told me I could pick and choose what I wanted to do. I made sure to do the harder things because I had a feeling she was going to make sure every single thing on her list was finished before supper and I didn't want her to overexert herself.

We did manage to get everything done before Charlie made it back from work and we were cooking supper when he walked in the door.

"Mm, mm, mm, Bells, that sure smells good! I'm gonna run up and take a shower. I'll be right down. What time is Sue coming?"

Bella giggled, "You have time to get purtied up Dad."

He grunted and rolled his eyes. Heading up the stairs he mumbled, "I didn't want to get 'purtied up' smarty pants."

* * *

Sue knocked on the door thirty minutes later and Charlie still hadn't descended the stairs. I whispered to Bella, "I think your dad is suffering from stage fright, I'm gonna go give him a hand."

She laughed silently and nodded.

I knocked on Charlie's door. "Charlie? You alright in there?"

I heard him walking toward the door. He cracked it slightly and looked over my shoulder. "You alone?" I laughed to myself and nodded. He opened the door all of the way. I walked in and it took every fiber of my being to keep a straight face. Charlie was wearing the most ridiculous getup I had ever seen. He wore a brown plaid, wool suit circa 1973 style.

I was literally speechless. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth I would tell him how incredibly ridiculous he looked and I am pretty sure by the look on his face, he already knew.

"It's really bad, isn't it?"

I opened my mouth to speak, though I was still afraid for my life.

"You don't have to say anything, I already know. I don't have anything else nice to wear. What can I do?"

"Do you care if I look through your closet?" He motioned his hand for me to go ahead. Poor guy was petrified.

It took me a while to go through his closet—everything was begging me to just please throw it in the dumpster. I swear he had the fugliest things I had ever seen in that closet. A couple of times I looked over my shoulder, quirked my eyebrow and just said, "Really?" He would just hang his head.

Fifteen minutes later I had a very handsome Charlie standing in front of the mirror with a smile on his face. "Son, you are a miracle worker. Thank you." He put his arm around my shoulder and we walked out of his room together.

We walked into the kitchen and Bella whistled at her dad in his dark grey Levi's and black denim shirt. Of course, true to Swan form, he blushed.

Sue's eyes lit up when she saw him and a smile spread across her face. "You sure look handsome there Charlie."

I looked in Bella's direction and she mouthed a 'thank you' to me and winked. _Dick, I think we just got brownie points!_

* * *

The dinner went very well. Sue complimented Bella's cooking telling her that it was incredible for her to be a wonderful cook with having two parents who couldn't boil water. Everyone laughed at that and Charlie agreed.

As dinner was wrapping up I noticed Bella having a silent conversation with Charlie and I could only guess it was about his asking Sue on a date. He finally conceded.

He cleared his throat, "Sue, I was wondering…well, I mean…you know…I um…aww hell. Shoot, I'm sorry. I shouldn't speak that way in front of a lady." Bella and I were both holding our breath trying desperately not to laugh at the poor dude. "I was thinking that maybe…well, this Wednesday, when you usually bring dinner…I thought, I mean…canItakeyououttoeatinstead?"

I peeked at Sue and she had the sweetest smile on her face. "Well, Charlie, I've waited three years for you to get up the nerve to finally ask me. I was starting to think you would let me die of old age before you finally manned up. Of course I'll go out to eat with you, you silly man."

The whole table breathed a sigh of relief. Charlie glanced at Bella and they both grinned at each other. He winked at her and I saw him give her knee a squeeze, then he nodded and finished his supper.

* * *

The next day we left Charlie's house around 1:00. Our departure wasn't nearly as tearful as the one two weeks prior with my parents. Bella promised to visit again very soon. She told her dad to make sure to treat Sue with the utmost respect 'just as you expect Edward to do with me' she added. She told him what a good woman Sue was and how she expected to see them together at Thanksgiving dinner. She gave him a big squeeze and he kissed her cheek. I shook his hand and we hopped in the car and headed back to Seattle.

The weekend ended so much better than it began. Bella was incredibly cheerful on the way home and even commented on the things she had planned once we got back to my place. It had been a rather fulfilling weekend for us all, and I looked forward to many, many more to follow.

**Ok, lots of links are added to my profile. I have pics of Bella's artwork, Charlie's goofy clothes, and a few clips from movies I referenced. **

**It appears that from now on I will grant a teaser for a review *grin* since everyone seems to like it so much, lol. Also…if you review I won't put Edward in that tacky wool suit next chapter!!! LOL!**

**Thank you to everyone who reads, puts on alert, and especially reviews! I love you all!!!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Oh boy! I am so very sorry for this delay in updates bbs! We are coming to a difficult time of the story for me. I have found that I don't do serious well! Lol! Please forgive me!**

**As usual, I would like to thank my WONDERUFL betas: SBA and AS08! You are the needle on my record player! (does anyone still use a record player?)**

**Pictures on my profile, guys…you will definitely want to check them out—especially Edward's outfit!!**

**Meet you at the bottom!**

**SM owns. I give them non-bloody birthdays!**

BPOV

I had met Edward's parents. It was quite the experience but I had to admit that they were amazing people. Yes, Esme was a bit on the perverted, high-strung side, but she was a magnificent woman. I had bonded with her incredibly fast. She was the mom I had always wanted growing up and I felt a strange sadness when I left, even though Esme promised that we would see each other again for Thanksgiving.

Then…well, then Edward insisted on meeting the Gatekeeper. I put it off as best as I could, seriously coming up with every excuse in my head. I was scared to death that my dad would scare him away and have him question why he would want any type of relationship with me. Of course, as soon as we arrived, Dad was in full over-protective Dad mode. He was on the porch with his shotgun looking mean as hell and all I could do was groan. I prayed for this to go well. I promised God that I would never ask for another thing again…which was almost funny since I had never prayed before. It would figure that the first thing I ever asked for would be big enough to justify a promise like that.

Amazingly, things did go pretty well. Of course he had to have his 'father talk' with Edward. I missed that talk because when I went in the house to get beers for the two of them, I spent ten minutes puking from nerves. When I got out, though he looked like he had seen and danced with a ghost, Edward was still intact and Dad was being civil with him, actually very civil….. Then after dinner and clean up my dad actually _asked_ me to sit by Edward! That was when I knew he had accepted him in whatever way I needed him to. Thank you God_. Boy, I need to remember that prayer stuff_.

After Dad went to bed, I showed Edward the very last secret I had. It was a secret that I kept from the entire world—the very last hidden part of my life. A part of me was scared, but then he just made my heart do flip flops because he truly loved it. And I loved being able to say that he literally knew everything there was to know about me.

The next day we had dinner with Sue and I managed to get Dad to finally get their relationship moving in the right direction. Edward even helped by dressing Dad—because honestly I know Dad didn't come up with that outfit himself!

We left Dad's house with both of us making promises to each other. He promised to take things further with Sue and I promised to come see him more often.

Edward actually really liked my dad. I was shocked. I had been convinced that he would have scared him away, which I know was his intention initially…but then who would have guessed that he would honestly started liking Edward?

* * *

Time started flying by and soon it was my birthday. I always tried to let my birthday slip by with no one noticing and definitely without creating a scene, but Alice and Rose _are_ my best friends. Alice could never let **anyone** have a birthday without making a big to-do about it. And I mean a big to-do. This year…well, this year was way worse, if you can imagine that. We had 'mates' now, as she put it, and that opened up so many more possibilities. I ended up coming out of the experience relatively unscathed, but not without some repercussions. Not only were there three more people aware of when my birthday was, _and_ now the entire firehouse where Edward was the Fire Chief also became somehow in the loop… no, that just wasn't humiliating enough. Alice was in cahoots with my gorgeous green-eyed Fire Chief and she convinced him that having a couple of their fire trucks pull up into our front yard—sirens blazing—would be an amazing surprise for me. _Really?_

Of course he knew I didn't want anything extravagant. Of course I begged him to just let my birthday pass with no attention. Of course he didn't listen. No one ever listens.

Although, he did make it up to me later…no, I'm not talking about that, although of _course_ he made it up that way as well. No, he bought me a custom white gold Firefighter Maltese Cross Pendant. The names Cullen and Swan were engraved on the upper and lower portion of the cross. The center had the number 09. On the back, he had the following inscription:

_In the year 2009_

_I became yours_

_And you became mine_

_I love you forever_

Needless to say, that gift definitely made up for the fanfare in front of my house, kind of….

* * *

Halloween was almost six whole weeks after my birthday, but my birthday was the official beginning of 'The Holiday Season according to Alice.' It was one holiday after the other from Halloween to Valentine's Day. In other words: Five months of pure hell in our house. She started decorating the very next morning.

This girl didn't just decorate. This little psycho warped our home into a whole new dimension. I expected to see Jack and Sally and hear the orchestra singing, "This is Halloween! This is Halloween!"

For each holiday, Alice not only decorated, she also threw a block party. _Thank God her block party __was for holidays__**after**__ my birthday!_ I was never allowed to be MIA during her parties—it was part of my 'BFF oath' that she incorporated into our friendship during its second year. Yes, she made a written oath that I had to sign…and have notarized…

So, this year was going to be no different, except that I would have someone else to endure…uh _enjoy_ the festivities with. Edward thought I was exaggerating. Edward thought it was going to be fun. Edward was in for a huge surprise.

One thing I did put my foot down on was costumes. Every year Alice picked out my costume and I never had a choice. This year, in order to have the freedom to pick out my own outfit, I threatened to tell Jasper about Alice's wardrobe malfunction at her grandparents' 60th anniversary. Alice had been dancing with her grandfather when he dipped her and brought her up just as both of her headlights flashed her sweet little eighty-year-old grandfather. The poor guy had to use his inhaler for thirty minutes after that.

The girls had the _perfect_ costumes picked out. Alice and Jasper were going to be Barney and Betty Rubble. Rose and Emmett were going to be Fred and Wilma Flintstone. The only one who had to do anything in order to look the part was Rose. She decided against a red wig and instead dyed her hair. It was temporary, but she wasn't going to tell Emmett until after she saw his reaction. I couldn't wait for this.

I didn't tell _anyone_ what I had planned. Not even Edward. I knew that my idea was the best. And I also knew it was going to knock some socks off—namely Edward and Dick's.

The night of the party I went to Edward's to get ready so we that could have our grand entrance. When I showed him his costume his jaw dropped. He started shaking his head.

"No way! I am not—" before he could finish his sentence, I held up my outfit. He gulped and started breathing hard. I just giggled.

"I will take this right back to the store unless you wear yours."

Five minutes later, Edward was waiting by the front door.

We walked into the party and I started looking around for Rose and Alice. I really wanted them to see us before anyone else I knew did. I saw Fred first. Actually, I heard Fred, and then saw Fred. I was pulling Edward by the arm through the crowd. He was extremely embarrassed, I could tell. I barely made it into the clearing where the girls were when I heard Alice scream bloody murder.

"OH MY FREAKING GOD!!! Isabella Marie Swan! You are a genius!" She was instantly spinning me and then Edward whose face was turning purple—having passed through all the shades of red already.

Emmett was doubled over in laughter and Jasper was just shaking his head slowly from side to side.

Rose walked up to me, "I am proud of you, Jane. You actually did better than Alice ever would have." She patted my bare shoulder then looked over at Edward. "And you, Tarzan," she said pointing toward Edward's naked, well-defined torso, "I never thought your scrawny ass had muscles. Nice six pack there." She winked at him. Jasper snickered and Emmett finally just fell to his knees laughing.

Later that night, after way too many drinks, Edward remained in character and tossed me over his shoulder and shouted, "Tarzan, Jane, go home now, make wild animal love." And he grunted with every step to the front door. That was the first Halloween I've actually enjoyed…ever.

* * *

Thanksgiving was my type of holiday. It was my favorite second only to Christmas. I loved to cook. I loved to watch people eat the food I created. And I loved to spend the time with family around the dinner table just chatting about our lives.

This year was going to be tricky for me. Edward's parents were coming in as they usually did and Charlie and Sue were coming in as well. Emmett and Jasper had also invited their parents to join us so we had seven couples eating dinner. The most I had ever cooked for was nine people. I was very lucky that Renee and Phil couldn't make it and also that Rose's parents and Alice's parents were busy as well. I'm not sure I could have handled cooking for seven more people.

Edward tried to help me, but the poor guy gave up when I started barking orders at him that he just didn't understand. Shortly after that I went in and apologized explaining to him that I was just a tad too short-tempered in the kitchen for him to even try to help me and it wasn't anything that he had done wrong. The girls, however, were then ordered to help me immediately or they would have to endure clean up duty. The look on my face told them that I meant business.

Dinner went exceptionally well. Dad and Sue were absolutely adorable together. She poured his gravy onto his mashed potatoes and when he dribbled on his tie, she just wiped it off. I must also point out that Dad was wearing a _modern_ suit jacket and tie. I have a feeling that Sue had something to do with his appearance because I had never known him to own anything even remotely hip.

We all said the things that we were thankful for. Dad said he was thankful for his two favorite women. We both gasped and wiped away a tear.

When it came my turn to speak, I took a deep breath. I had always made snarky speeches like, "I am thankful for having brown hair because I never get called a dumb blonde." This year, I wanted to be serious. I had a lot to be thankful for and I wanted to make sure everyone knew how I felt about them. I told them I was thankful for each and every person in the room and how much they meant to me. When I said, "I am thankful for our parents who raised us into decent adults," Emmett boomed, "And had sex in the first place to create us!" My dad choked on his beer, Emmett's mom scolded him, Rose slapped him in the back of the head while everyone else laughed good hearty laughs. _Nothing like Emmett shouting about sex to interrupt a first-ever serious speech._

The rest of the evening was laid back and blissful. The guys watched football, of course. All of the ladies cleaned the kitchen and dining room, Alice and Rose decided to help as well—I think they were intimidated by the older women in attendance. There were so many of us that it took no time. Most of them just shooed me away telling me that I did all of the work, so I should rest. I still wouldn't leave the kitchen, but I did relax and watch them clean.

Our time ended too quickly. All of the parents had to head out the next morning, with the exception of Esme and Carlisle. I was excited that they were going to be in town and that I would be able to see them for the next five weeks. Esme and I made shopping plans for Black Friday before they left for the evening.

The next morning, Esme and I were in the crowded mall when I received a text from Alice.

**U should nvr bet against me. I told u it would happen and it did! Jazzy proposed last night!!!!!**

I dropped my phone to the ground just as someone walked in front of me and I watched in horror as they kicked it across the floor and into the sea of people.

"Shit!" I huffed, rushing to get my phone back. It was a freaking madhouse in this place. I was bent over searching between legs—yeah, that caused a lot of disapproving looks—and ended up getting kneed in the ribs by a very tall man. "Sorry, sir, excuse me." _This was humiliating._

Then I heard my phone go off with another text. Of course Alice was probably pissed that I didn't respond immediately. I followed the sound until I found a little girl about two years old holding my phone with both hands and grinning as if she just found Big Bird. She was adorable.

I walked up to her and sweetly said, "Hi, honey. Thanks for taking care of my phone. You are such a good girl! May I have it back now, please?" I smiled as nicely as I could.

She handed me my phone and when she did she rubbed my left hand and asked, "Where is your wing?" in the cutest little voice.

"My wing? Oh, you mean my ring?" I giggled. "I don't have a ring for that hand yet."

At this point her mom had turned around and was noticing our exchange. _Nice Mom. Took you long enough._

"Honey, leave the lady alone. I'm sure she's very busy." Looking up at me she said, "I am terribly sorry. She is a very outgoing little girl."

"Oh it's no problem. She actually saved my phone for me. She is a very sweet little girl." I stood back up and patted the little girl on the head and smiled. "You guys enjoy your shopping. Thanks again, honey." As I walked away, I couldn't help but rub my left ring finger. _Yet…_

I finally called Alice back and we chatted…actually, she squealed and said, "I told you so," 150 times while I flinched at each outburst. I told her how happy I was for her and of course I knew I shouldn't bet against her, and I would never do it again, yadda, yadda. During the whole conversation I hadn't realized it, but I was still rubbing my ring finger. _What __was __wrong with me?_

* * *

The days leading up to Christmas were complete chaos. Between having Esme, Alice, and Rose wanting to shop-til-we-drop, my work schedule, and just wanting to spend time with the love of my life…I had no time to breathe. _So this is what it is like to have a family during the holidays…_

We shopped, decorated, shopped, baked, shopped, and wrapped presents. I actually had to take two personal days off from work just to recuperate from the craziness I now call Holiday Hell or HH for short.

It was three days before Christmas and with all of the shopping we'd done, I had yet to get Alice's present. I had thought and thought about it and still couldn't come up with something unique. Alice is a difficult person to buy for because anything she wants…well, she goes out and buys. And anyway, most of her wants were usually much higher than my price range. Sure, we made the same salary obviously, but she put more importance on materials than necessities…like food. If I didn't provide food, Alice would probably live off of bread crumbs. Not only does she, and I quote, "not need food," but she would rather die of starvation wearing a perfect pair of Jimmy Choos than to live and wear something less extravagant. Yeah, that's Alice for you.

So, here I was trying to find my best friend in the whole world a Christmas present at the last minute because I was a pathetic procrastinating fool. I had been everywhere in Seattle and even attempted the horror also known as internet shopping. Yes, internet shopping was convenient, but see, that was a double-edged sword because since it was so convenient, it makes it extremely easy to spend way too much. I jumped off the computer once I realized I had memorized my credit card number from typing it in so many times.

I was going down University Way when I saw the Big 5 Sporting Goods store and I suddenly had the perfect idea. Alice loves sport-related items. She isn't necessarily into sports, but she loves to support our state's teams—NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, it doesn't matter. Everything Washington, she will 'sport' it, pun definitely intended.

I made it over to the jeweler on 7th and spent the next twenty minutes creating a perfect 'Alice' gift. I made her a sports charm bracelet. I chose sterling silver because Alice was either a platinum or silver kinda gal. I found a charm for each and every team in the Seattle area—Mariners, Seahawks, Sonics, Storm, Thunderbirds, Sounders, and the Huskies. That way no matter what season it was, she would be in style. I just knew this was something that Alice would appreciate. I left the store with a smile on my face. I could now go home and wrap my last gift and rest for a while.

* * *

On Christmas Eve Edward and I decided to spend it alone at his place. We had made plans with all of the family and our friends to celebrate together on Christmas Day. I just wanted one day to relax without the craziness that was Alice and Esme.

We settled in with our popcorn, eggnog, and the Christmas afghan his mom had made when he was little to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life" on his big screen. It was so peaceful watching my all-time favorite holiday movie next to my all-time favorite man. It felt right.

When the bell rang at the end signifying Clarence getting his wings, we both had tears in our eyes. We caught each other wiping tears and ended up laughing until our sides hurt. Laughing then turned to kissing, kissing turned to groping, and just as I thought we were getting ready to have great holiday sex Edward pulled back. I whimpered.

"I want to give you your gifts tonight. With no audience." _Ohhh…_

"I don't have your gift here, Edward. I wouldn't feel right receiving without giving." I tried in vain to weasel my way out of it…I was never one for receiving gifts. But when I looked up into his pathetic puppy dog eyes, I knew I was a goner. I sighed a long, heavy sigh. "If you insist…" His face morphed into the face of a child at…well, at Christmas.

He jumped up and sprinted across the room grabbing four…_holy shit those bags are huge!! _ My eyes bugged out of my head. "What have you done Edward?"

Suddenly, Edward was no longer sitting in front of me. Nope, he had transformed into Alice! He was bouncing…fucking bouncing in his seat. _This __wa__s not going to end well…_

The first three bags had actually made me start bouncing in my seat. This man paid attention to every word that came out of my mouth. We had been together for five months and during those five months I had commented on certain kitchen gadgets and appliances that I thought would be awesome or maybe already had an older version of and wanted to update. Every single one I remembered was in those bags. I was in shock. Edward was amazing. I jumped up and started ravishing him with kisses.

He chuckled against my lips and pulled me slightly away. "There is still one more bag, baby." I looked at him questioningly and he grinned his cute little crooked grin.

I slid slowly off of his lap. I really would rather stay in his lap than open another gift, but he was nothing if not persistent.

He handed me the bag. This bag was smaller than the others, but not by much. I reached inside and pulled out a rectangular box. When I opened the box, there were two wooden picture frames. The first one said:

_First you caught my eye…_

_Then you caught my heart…_

_I will love you always, _

_Gigi_

I laughed at the mention of his nickname.

The picture inside was a picture of the two of us on the paddle boat at his parents' house laughing at each other. I hadn't realized his mom had taken the picture. It was breathtaking.

"Edward it is amazing! The picture…the frame…I love it! Thank you so much!" He smiled and nudged the other frame in my hand.

I flipped the second one over and gasped. "Oh my…" I noticed the picture before I noticed the engraving. The picture was of the two of us sleeping. I was facing him and he was facing me. Our noses were touching and we had our arms wrapped around each other. It was incredibly intimate. I looked over at him. "Where…how…who took this picture?" I was a bit worried because Edward and I were both naked, though you couldn't see anything other than our bare shoulders.

"Again, it was my mother. She plans to formally apologize to you for intruding, but it was completely innocent. We had left the door cracked that night and when she went to knock the following morning the door pushed opened and she saw us. She started to look away when she noticed how we were 'staring' at each other in our sleep and she had to capture it. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea for me to give it to you, but I insisted. I hope you don't mind. I thought it was the most beautiful picture I had ever seen, so I had to have it."

"You have a copy, too?" I asked.

He grinned, "Of course. But mine…well, it's much bigger. You'll see it when we head to the bedroom tonight." He grinned cockily.

I glanced back down and realized I had forgotten about the picture frame. It matched the other frame in style, but the design and engraving was different. There were several hearts on each side. The two in each top corner had our names etched inside and the engraving said:

"…_I wrote your name in my heart_

_And forever it will stay."_

_Summer 2009_

Now I was crying. These were the most precious gifts he could have given me. I went to move the bag from the couch to sit closer to Edward when I realized there was still something in the bottom of the bag. I cocked my head to the side and looked at him. He shrugged and grinned.

I reached into the bag and found another similar frame, but this one was thick like a book and I was slightly confused by it. I pulled it all of the way out and saw that the frame was empty. I pulled my brows together and puckered my lips trying to figure out why there wasn't a picture in it. I read the engraving:

_Love is the master key that opens the gates of happiness._

I realized the frame was so thick because it was actually a box. Shocked, I looked up at Edward. He smiled and said, "The picture for this frame is yet to be taken. Open the box sweetheart."

I opened the box to find a small key taped to the bottom and nothing else. I just stared at the key.

Before I could move Edward's lips were at my ear. "Move in with me, my Bella. You have the key to my heart. Please take the key to my home as well."

I sat there frozen. It's not that I didn't love Edward. I definitely loved him with all of my heart. I knew he was my everything. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. But living together? It was way too soon, wasn't it? He didn't know me well enough to live with me. I was a very difficult person to live with. Alice and Rose could vouch for that. I had no problem with the idea of living with Edward…I just had a problem with the idea of Edward having to live with me.

My lack of response must have indicated the war in my brain because Edward's shoulders sagged and he sighed heavily. I had barely glanced up at him and saw him looking down at his feet, defeated. I reached over and placed my hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off. "Please don't, Isabella. Just…just don't. I'm ready for bed now." He stood up and walked out. _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!_

I walked into his bedroom to see he had already crawled into bed, completely dressed, and facing the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Edward, listen, I'm—"

He cut me off. "Goodnight Isabella. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Let's get some sleep."

I had hurt him. And I couldn't make it better. Sure, I could agree and make him happy, but I really didn't think he would want me to move in with him under false pretenses. I knew that my anxiety about this decision would cause a huge riff in our relationship and I loved Edward too much to do that to him. However, inadvertently, I had done it anyway. I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I knew that for both of our sanities this was the best way for now. He would forgive me. _Wouldn't he?_

* * *

Christmas morning came too quickly. I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. The last time I looked at the clock it was 5:45 and I hadn't slept a wink. Sleep did eventually come because I was awakened in the morning by the smell of blueberry pancakes. _Mmmmm._

I stood up and stretched, breathing in the magnificent smell coming from the kitchen. I had just started walking toward the bathroom to get a shower when I remembered the events from the night before. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I had hurt Edward and yet he still woke up and started breakfast for us. I quickly brushed my teeth, bypassing the shower for the moment, and sprinted toward the kitchen. I slowed down right before coming into Edward's view. My heart was racing. What was I afraid of? Surely he wouldn't be making breakfast if he wanted to break up, right? How was he going to act today after the fact? Finally, I just shoved all of my fears aside and walked into the room to face whatever awaited me there.

Edward heard me. He snapped his head up and grinned. "Good morning, baby. How did you sleep? Are you hungry? I hope pancakes are okay. I made your favorite. I have orange juice or milk, whichever you prefer. Oh, Mom and Dad will be here in an hour, is that okay?" _Who are you and what have you done with my Edward?_

Yeah, things were definitely going to be awkward. Edward never ever spoke ninety miles per hour. He was the most calm and relaxed person I had ever met…next to Jasper. But Jasper had like a built-in Xanax buzz going on or something.

"Pancakes sound wonderful. I'm starving! I'll make myself a glass of orange juice, what would you like?" I made sure to walk close enough to brush against his hip and when I did, he stiffened. Edward never stiffened. I was now a nervous wreck. How was I going to get through this day if I didn't have Edward to fall back on? He was my rock. And I had broken him.

"Orange juice is fine. How many pancakes would you like?" He was sounding forcefully chipper and it unnerved me.

"Two, please…Edward, can we talk? I can tell this is bothering you and I need to explain."

His eyes not leaving the griddle, he said, "There's nothing to explain, sweetheart. I understand. It is too soon for you." He then fully turned toward me and took a deep breath. His voice shook slightly as he said, "I will wait for you. I will wait forever." The last word was barely audible as his voice broke at the end. He gently smiled and turned back to his pancakes.

"_I will wait forever."_

Why would he wait for me forever? Surely he had to have realized by now that I was bent. I had issues. Who would stick around for that? My heart started to break at the thought of Edward giving up on me and leaving me. But that could happen with either scenario. I knew I couldn't live without him. I had to do whatever it took to keep him. I just didn't know what 'it' was.

* * *

We had finished breakfast, which had been nearly silent, and cleaned our dishes. We then both needed to get ready for his parents. We headed for the bedroom at the same time and he paused at the door allowing me to go first. I stepped over the threshold and turned around, grabbing his hands. His eyes widened.

"I love you Edward. Please, don't give up on me. Please." Tears were forming in my eyes and I blinked to keep them at bay.

Instantly Edward's face softened and I knew he was back with me. He cupped my face, "My Bella. I will never give up on you. Ever. Do you understand me? I just hope that you will never decide you have had enough of me because…baby, I can't go one day without you." He leaned down and started to kiss me. It started out very slow and loving and gentle. I parted my lips to suck in a quick breath of air and when I did, it caused Edward…no, it caused Edward and _Dick _to come alive. _Well, hello there Dick, I've sure missed you!_

Edward's tongue began to roam between my lips and deep into my mouth, massaging my tongue and causing me to moan. This moan elicited another reaction from Dick and he was suddenly getting reacquainted with my inner thigh. Edward groaned and grabbed both of my legs, wrapping them around his waist and he carried me over to the bed. Without breaking our embrace, he dropped us onto the comforter. Mouths still engaged, our hands were wildly ripping clothing off of each other and finally we were both naked. We stopped long enough to take a deep breath and look down at our exposed bodies and then we both smiled and began again.

Edward was kissing my chin and then my neck and then my shoulder. In between each kiss he whispered, "I love you." He continued to my breasts, kissing each one, then to my left side causing me to giggle, then to my right side. Before he reached my navel, I stopped him. He looked up at me nervously.

"Lie down, Edward." I said with a grin.

He crawled up the bed beside me and laid down. I sat up and started to move toward his stomach when he stopped me this time. He guided me onto my hands and knees and then lifted my left leg over his chest. My stomach sank when I realized what he was trying to do. This was one thing I had never tried and I wasn't quite sure how I could…uh, take care of him when he was rendering me incapable of coherent thought.

He scooted down until I could feel his breath on my lower lips and his cock was right in my line of sight. I loved having him in my mouth. I loved the way I could make him feel. That's all it took—seeing him—before I was leaning down and licking him lightly. He moaned just as his mouth reached my sex. I felt his moan against my lips and it spurred me on.

I started to suck him as he was licking me. It was the most intense feeling. The harder and faster I would lick or suck the harder and faster he would reciprocate. It was like a very erotic game of tug o' war, except…well, we both ended up winning.

We were both moaning and licking and then he bucked his hips and I knew he was close. He moaned against me again pushing me over the edge. I squeezed my lips together harshly riding out my orgasm while still bobbing up and down on his cock and before I finished he released into my mouth. _W.O.W!!_

Once both of us could breathe again, I flipped around to lay on his chest. "Edward…wow…that was just….oh my…" I couldn't even complete a full thought.

He glanced down at me and smiled. "I agree…with everything you just said." Then he laughed because I hadn't really said anything.

Suddenly we heard a knock on the front door.

"SHIT!!" Both of us jumped up and started to get ready as fast as we could.

Edward was presentable faster than I was so he ran to the front door. No sooner had he opened it did I hear Esme giggle, "Um, do you need us to come back in about…eh fifteen minutes?" _Oh dear God…_

"Hello Mother." Edward said trying to sound angry, but we all knew he was just teasing. "Hi Dad. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, son. How are you this morning?" I could hear the smirk in his voice. _Nice, this isn't going to be awkward at all…_

By now they had made their way into the den. I had finished getting dressed and brushing my hair, so I went out to join them.

Smiling, I greeted his parents and they greeted me with a hug. _Man, I am going to miss them when they have to go back to Chicago._

Our time together was very nice. Esme didn't pick on us too much over our morning romp. We exchanged gifts and everyone was extremely pleased with what they received.

All too soon it was time for us to meet with our friends. Esme and Carlisle promised to meet up with us again in a few days. Thanking each other and bidding farewell, we headed to our separate cars to leave.

* * *

Time with our very best friends was completely different than time with his parents. It was utter pandemonium…but not in a bad way. The atmosphere was jittery. Everyone was excited. Everyone was anxious. And everyone was talking at once.

We were finally able to calm down 45 minutes and three laugh-till-you-cry episodes later. It was time to exchange gifts. This was my favorite part. I loved watching the people I love open gifts.

Everyone was ecstatic, especially Alice. The bracelet was total win for her.

After we exchanged gifts, we had dinner that the girls had cooked—this was part of my gift since I was always the one who had to cook the dinners. It was honestly very good.

After cleaning up, we all sat in the living room and watched 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and 'A Christmas Story.' We had plenty of laughs even though we had all seen both movies countless times.

The house became somber once it hit 11:00. Even though we dealt with this on a weekly basis, it was still so difficult when the guys had to head into the station for their shifts. It seemed to be a bit more disheartening since it was Christmas.

The guys left at 11:30—leaving each of us with a passionate kiss from our lovers. It felt like my heart ripped out when Edward left. I knew the events of last night were going to weigh on him over the next three days and it tore me up.

As we closed the door, we each let out a sigh. Alice started shaking her head crying. Rose and I froze and just stared at her. _What the hell?_

"I don't like this. Something is not right. They shouldn't be going." Alice was pacing…something Alice had never done before.

* * *

We eventually managed to calm Alice down. I never found out what was wrong with her, she just kept saying something wasn't right. I pulled out the apple pie and ice cream and we sat, eating at the dining room table, talking about all of our gifts we had received.

When I told them about my gift from Edward they both dropped their spoons. I pretended not to notice.

Rose said, "Belly…I know you are scared…but please, please don't mess this up. Edward is good for you. You are good for him. Don't let this scare you away."

I didn't respond. I just stared at my hands.

"What did you do??" Alice asked with worry in her voice.

"I didn't do anything. In fact, it was my lack of response that alerted Edward about how I was feeling. He was pretty upset with me last night but then this morning he woke up acting like everything was okay…well, not okay. He was acting very different, but he was pretending that everything was normal. And then…well…we sorta made up." I mumbled the last part.

Alice started to giggle when Rose said, "No, I don't want details. I get it. Now what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't. On one hand, I am afraid if I move in he will realize how anal I am about my living space and then want to force me out of his house. On the other hand, I am afraid if I don't move in with him he will get sick of waiting for me and then leave me. It's like no matter what I am taking a huge chance."

Alice smiled a sweet smile—the kind you smile when you are talking to a Kindergartener. She said, "Bebe, relationships are all about chances, silly. There is no getting out of that. But on that note…both of your hands are wrong. Edward won't leave you. He loves you. And remember, I—"

Rose and I both cut her off by saying, "Know these things!"

After we cleaned up our mess, we headed to bed. It was nearing 12:30 and I was beat. I had only slept a few short hours from the night before and then had a very exhausting day.

Almost as soon as my head hit my pillow I was out like a light.

* * *

My cell phone woke me up. I grabbed it and looked at the caller ID. It was Angela from the hospital. "I am not coming in no matter what! They can fire me!" I grumbled.

"Bella?" Angela was crying. _Shit! And I __had just been__ hateful to her._

"Ang, what is it? Is it Ben? What happened?"

Sobbing she responded, "Bella, you guys need to get down here. It's your boys. They just came in and it is bad, Bella, real bad. You need to get here now!"

I fell down to the floor unable to move. I couldn't breathe.

_Oh God, please! Not my Edward! Please!_

**OK, I probably am going to have some haters. I can take it! Remember, next chapter will be EPOV, and just to warn you, it will be a recap of a few things, just because, c'mon don't you wanna know what was going on in his mind when she said no?**

**Please show me some love, cause this was equally hard on me to write! This is why it took so long to get out!!!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A couple of announcements:**

**First, I have started outtakes! You can find them under my stories on my profile. There is a ton of information about this story on my profile if you haven't checked it out yet. Songs, pictures, tons of stuff.**

**This chapter is pretty much a recap of last chapter, I am sorry for that, but Edward wanted you to know a bunch of stuff that wasn't in the last chapter.**

**Also, when you see 2 asterisks in this chapter, please, please listen to the following song. The scene following was made BECAUSE of this song. I know it is not 100% relevant, but it is 95% accurate :) I will also be placing it in my profile.**

**Skillet—Hero: www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=zuyupBmHfVQ**

**As always, thanks to my wonderful betas AS08 and SBA, you guys are the password for my secret files, LOL!!**

**SM owns, I just make them silly.**

EPOV

A few weeks after meeting Charlie, Alice mentioned Bella's birthday. I hadn't even realized that we had never exchanged birthday information with each other until that moment. The very moment after that I realized why.

"Alice, so help me, I told you not to mention my birthday!"

"Oh Bellfry, you should know better than to try to stop me with my plans for your birthday. When have your threats and warnings ever stopped me?"

Bella growled at Alice, and it was actually a very vicious growl. I would have been scared if that growl was aimed at me, but Alice had no fear. She continued to peck away at the keys on her laptop.

"Ok, since you won't help me, then I guess I won't know how much is too much…"

"You're killing me, Smalls." Bella said rolling her eyes at the smiling, hand clapping Alice.

The two of them commenced to argue over the allowed activities for Bella's birthday. This went on for two hours. I tried to excuse myself several times and every time Bella would either grab my hand and pull me back or give me the death glare from hell. I wasn't sure what she expected me to do; I was scared to death of that tiny Lilliputian!

One thing Alice made me promise was to bring the fire brigade to their front yard, lights and sirens blazing. I explained to her that I didn't think Bella would think that was such a great idea. _That was my first__mistake._ She assured me that she most definitely would. She also assured me that if I wanted her thoughts on my gift for Bella that I would succumb to her demands. _Wait…demands? __What was I getting myself into?_

The boys at the fire house were excited about these new plans. We rarely ever used the trucks outside of actual emergencies and they loved the idea of having an opportunity to impress the local wildlife—aka the female population. _Poor guys__, they seriously needed__ to get laid._ Dick just looked smug and nodded. _Proud bastard…_

Bella's birthday made me a nervous wreck for more than one reason. I had hoped that she would love the gift that I had custom made for her. Alice guaranteed me that she would, but Alice _also_ said Bella would like a huge fanfare across her front yard, and I was pretty sure that wasn't the case... Which brings me to the other reason I was nervous. How was Bella going to react to the cavalry appearing on her front lawn in thirty minutes?

As expected, she was pretty upset about the scene in front of her house. _Upset was actually an __understatement, a REALLY big understatement__._ For a split second she glared at me, but Alice then convinced her that I had been given no choice but to comply. Apparently Bella knew the ramifications of denying Alice, because after she found this out, she immediately gave me a look of sympathy. Then, her death glare was aimed back at Alice. _Thank you Lord!_

The whole neighborhood had gathered out in front of the house, which I thought would make things worse, but I was mistaken.

Alice, Bella, and Rose ran over to Seth and asked him to demonstrate the workings of the fire truck. Of course, poor Seth had reverted to becoming a bumbling fool after he was approached by three unbelievably gorgeous women, so he gave in. Bella walked closer to Seth and whispered something in his ear. His face flushed and his eyes bulged, but then the biggest grin I had ever seen crossed that kid's face. I was clueless as to what she had whispered to him, but a quick thirty seconds later I found out. _Holy heart failure, Batman!!_

Seth had opened the fire hydrant. Water was shooting straight in the air and as it came down the girls had decided to dance seductively in the spray. When I say seductively, I mean girl-on-girl fucking with their clothes on…right in front of God and everyone. _Fuck me, __ if that was__ not the sexiest thing I had ever seen…_

The whole neighborhood was hooting and hollering and I just wanted to run in and grab Bella, cover her up with…with…anything and take her back in the house...and maybe ask her to continue with a private show. Dick had already grabbed his board shorts and a towel. He was ready to go!

The next thing I knew, all of the women on the street had joined in and I thought I was going to die. _What are the odds of that?_ I looked around and every man there was drooling…and I imagine it wasn't just their mouths doing the drooling. Dick instantly let me know how very right I was. _Fucker._

I stomped over to Seth and ordered him to turn off the hydrant because it was just getting ridiculous. He seemed embarrassed, but he couldn't keep the grin off of his face. Once the water was off, I cleared everyone out so that they could take the trucks back to the station. _Boy did this __favor__ backfire on me…I __was ready__ to kill Spunkydoodle._

Bella adored her gift and we spent the rest of the night _relieving_ the tension that we caused each other earlier. I told her how much I loved her and how sorry I was and I vowed to never let Alice pressure me again. She laughed at that and said 'good luck' while at the same time rolling her eyes.

* * *

Halloween was shortly after Bella's birthday and I really didn't understand her anxiety over it until I witnessed AHS—Alice Holiday Season—firsthand. She truly was a raving lunatic! She had turned their house into Halloweentown no less than 24 hours after Bella's birthday had ended. I could almost hear Jack and Sally singing,

"_And sit together, now and forever_

_For it is plain as anyone can see  
We're simply meant to be."_

Bella went into a thirty minute warning of what I should expect and I rubbed her back telling her that I was sure she was exaggerating and that this was going to be fun. She barked some kind of maniacal laugh and then mumbled that I was in for a huge surprise.

On Halloween night, Bella came to my house so we could get ready together. She had kept our costumes a secret from everyone—including me. She walked into my bedroom with a shopping bag and a look of excitement on her face. The pure deviousness in that look rivaled the look of a teenager getting ready to TP someone's house, or something worse….much worse. I was scared…Dick was excited. _Traitor._

She pulled out the smallest scrap of brown material I had ever seen, holding it up for me to realize that it was a loincloth…I was pretty sure Dick would need a much larger piece of material to hide behind. _Oh God…one boner and nothing __would__ be left to the imagination any longer._

I tried to protest but before I could even get out a complete thought, Bella held up her outfit. Her scraps of material weren't much bigger than mine, but oh so much sexier. _Thank God I wasn't already wearing my loincloth because Dick would have just peeked out of it. A__m I kidding myself? He would have been out for the entire world to see! _ I couldn't help it. I swallowed loudly and was suddenly having a hard time breathing. She told me that she would take hers back if I didn't wear mine. I didn't have to be told twice. She didn't even have the damn thing on yet, and I was already on the verge of jizzing in my pants.

The outfits were a huge hit, and Bella was in a great mood for the rest of the night. I was very fortunate that Dick did not make a public appearance at all the entire night. Bella helped hide him as much as possible, almost making things worse by rubbing her ass up against me. After several drinks we _finally_ went back to my place and took full advantage of the costumes we were wearing—Tarzan make Jane scream name all night. That was hands down the best Halloween that I had ever celebrated! Dick was in complete agreement. _And happy…_

* * *

The month between Halloween and Thanksgiving was much better than what had elapsed between Bella's birthday and Halloween. Apparently Bella was much more partial to Thanksgiving. She loved cooking and baking and taste-testing…and making me taste-test as well. She placed a lot of weight on my approval for each thing she made. She was an amazing cook, but she seriously doubted her abilities. I probably gained ten pounds just testing the food she was making for Thanksgiving.

The day of Thanksgiving I tried to help her cook, but she had turned into Adolf Bella, so I tucked tail and ran. Of course she apologized, but I understood completely, even though I had moments where I had feared for my life.

Dinner was great. If I didn't already love this woman, I would have fallen for her from just eating her amazing food. Everyone enjoyed it immensely. During dinner we did the traditional 'thankful speech' around the table. Poor Bella…during her heartfelt speech, Emmett ruined it by being his same old vulgar self. I felt like punching him, but Rose slapped him pretty good, so I let it slide.

After dinner I hung out with the rest of the guys watching football while the ladies cleaned up. I wanted to be in there helping, but I decided it might be best not to seem totally whipped when I was around all of the guys. _I was the Fire Chief after all._

Everyone started wrapping things up to head home. Mom and Bella made plans for the following day—the biggest shopping day of the year. _Yeah, whatever…_

I convinced Bella to come back to my place and I spent the night pampering her. I gave her a back massage, which turned into a very rewarding game of hide the salami. Dick really enjoyed that game…but really, when doesn't he?

The next morning Bella was gone before I got out of bed, so I took this time to go online and start ordering some of her gifts for Christmas. I had planned most of her gifts for quite some time but I really wanted to give her something special to show just how much I cared for her. I found three matching picture frames, personalized them for her, and then placed the order. Next I needed pictures to put in them.

When Mom had come for her visit she had secretly given me a huge manila envelope labeled 'Edward and Bella's visit' and I knew it had to be pictures. Things had been too chaotic for me to go through them up to this point, so I had just stuffed them in my desk drawer, having forgotten all about them until now.

I went over to my desk and sat down. My mom has always gone overboard on pictures. I knew there would be a huge assortment to choose from and I was pretty hopeful that I would be able to find the perfect ones. I opened the envelope and nearly fell out of my chair. We had only been there two days and my mother was able to take so many pictures that you would think we had stayed there for months! _I hadn't even seen her damn camera once!_

I had been sorting the pictures into four piles—maybe, I doubt it, definitely not, and what the fuck? I was pretty sure I was going to use two of them in the _maybe_ pile, but I still needed a third. I continued to the end of the stack in the envelope and the very last picture was upside down. I turned it over and it took my breath away. It was absolutely beautiful; however, I was appalled at the fact that my mother had taken it without our knowledge. I grabbed my cell to call her right away. I knew she was still with Bella, but I needed to speak with her before I sat and let it fester.

Out of breath, she answered on the second ring, "Edward, sweetheart! Good morning…er wow, it's afternoon already!" She giggled. Shopping could always make Mom behave extremely giddy, and seem as if she had lost few brain cells along the way.

"Hello, Mom. I trust you are enjoying your shopping trip with Isabella?"

"Oh, immensely so, honey. We had to separate for a moment because I needed a break in the ladies' room. I am heading back to find her now."

_Perfect_.

"Good, because I have a bone to pick with you Mother dear." I said in the most sickeningly sweet, yet sarcastic voice I could muster.

"I take it you are finally looking through your pictures?" I could tell that she was grinning, that sly dog. "I had planned to talk to you about that, sweetheart, but we just haven't had a moment's peace."

"Mom, this picture is rather compromising, don't you think? How could you not have told me about it sooner? It's breathtaking, but you invaded our privacy, Mom, how could you?"

"Oh, honey, I swear, it wasn't like that!" Mom went on to explain how it was a simple accident and of course I believed her. I know my mom well and I was pretty sure she would never do something so scandalous, but in my defense, all evidence had pointed otherwise.

"Well, I have to admit, it is quite astonishing. It is perfect for what I have planned."

"What do you have planned?" she asked worriedly.

I explained the idea for the picture frames to her and she got pretty nervous. She wasn't sure it was a great idea for Bella to see the picture for the first time in a frame as a gift. I knew it was more than perfect and I also knew that I had to have a copy of this in my room. _A much larger copy…like life-size…yeah, life-size would be great!_

Mom and I ended our call and I started going through the stack of maybes to figure which other two pictures I was going to use for sure. I found one and then decided that since the third frame was going to hold the key to my home, the best picture for that frame would be a picture of us on the front steps, so I left it empty to fill later.

I called Jasper shortly after I put away my pictures. He had told us he planned to propose to Alice after leaving the night before. _Crazy bastard._ I asked him how it went and he assured me everything went exactly as he planned and Alice said, 'yes,' of course. I congratulated him and then got off the phone. My mind drifted to thoughts of proposing to Bella. I knew it was way too soon for her. I needed to take baby steps. After I had her living with me for a while, I would work up to marriage.

* * *

Christmas Eve came and I was extremely ecstatic to be spending it with Bella. We watched "It's a Wonderful Life" while eating popcorn and drinking eggnog, and we were wrapped in an afghan made by my mother. For the first time in my life, I was able to share my most cherished holiday tradition with someone else. The fact that I loved her and she also shared this tradition made it that much sweeter. _It's definitely a wonderful life, George Bailey._

As usual, when Clarence got his wings my eyes teared up. When I glanced at Bella she was wiping her tears right along with me. We both immediately started laughing. I loved to hear her laugh. It was such a beautiful sound and she looked so adorable when she tossed her head back and just let loose a cackle.

I couldn't take it any longer. I grabbed her face and pulled her to my lips. I kissed her very gently and then peppered her chin and cheeks with more kisses. I went back to her mouth and started to kiss her passionately. I grazed her lips with my tongue and she granted me entrance. Our tongues fought for dominance, while my hands began roaming over her shoulders softly, then ghosting down to her ribs. I moved slowly to her waist. When I reached the hem of her shirt, I slid my hand underneath. I started trailing my palms back up her sides. I reached her bra and slipped my fingers under. She moaned and the next thing I knew she had her hand in my pants and I began to moan right back. I massaged her breast as she stroked my dick and then I remembered what I had planned for the night. I knew if we went any further I would lose the chance for quite a while, so reluctantly I pulled away eliciting a moan from her this time.

I told her I wanted to give her the gifts I had for her alone with no audience. She tried to protest with some excuse about not having my gifts with her. It was better this way, because I wanted a true reaction from her, so I pulled out my big guns—my puppy dog eyes. I had mastered the look just for her, and boy was she a sucker for it. When she agreed to open her gifts I was so happy that I know I was grinning like a fool, but I didn't care. I loved Bella so much that I had no qualms with being myself, regardless of how it made me appear.

She was so excited about every gift I gave her that she was almost jumping out of her seat. There was still one bag left, but she had jumped back into my lap and began smothering me with kisses. I allowed a few, but then I chuckled and pulled away slightly letting her know she still had one bag left—the one that I was most excited for.

Bella opened the bag hesitantly and pulled out the box that held the first two frames. She looked at the first frame and read it, laughing at my nickname. She loved the picture and I had to nudge her to look at the next frame. She flipped it over and gasped, noticing the picture before the frame this time. She stuttered asking me who took the picture and I explained about my mother. I was a tiny bit apprehensive about her reaction. I was pretty sure she wouldn't be angry, but it was a rather shocking photo, so I couldn't be positive.

She looked back down at the frame and read it then she started crying. She started to scoot closer to me and realized there was still something in the bag. When she cocked her head at me I shrugged and grinned and then, at once, my heart dropped to the floor. I was suddenly panic stricken.

She looked pretty confused over the frame. I imagine it was because it was empty and possibly because it was a box instead of a flat frame. She read the inscription and then looked at me perplexed. I explained, in part, why it was empty and asked her to open the box.

She saw the key and just froze. I wasn't sure if she froze because she didn't know what it meant or because she _did._ I whispered in her ear, "Move in with me, my Bella. You have the key to my heart. Take the key to my home as well."

She didn't move.

She didn't respond in any way.

She didn't appear to be breathing.

She didn't want to move in with me. I could tell by her reaction. _Nothing at all like I had hoped…_

I couldn't help it. I had tried to prepare myself for this reaction, but in all honesty I didn't expect it. I had truly thought she would want to move in with me.

I sighed in defeat, which must have awoken her from her frozen stupor. She placed her hand on my shoulder and I inadvertently shrugged it off. "Please don't, Isabella. Just…just don't. I'm ready for bed, now." I stood up and walked out. I had to get away from her before I lost it and looked like even more of a sap than I already did. I tried not to let it hurt my feelings, but truthfully, it did. More than she would ever know. _You knew better than to get your hopes up, Cullen._

I quickly climbed into the bed, not even bothering to change clothes, and lay with my back to the door. I couldn't look at her. I needed to get into my 'zone of acceptance' and I wouldn't be able to do that if I saw her sympathetic, albeit beautiful face.

Seconds later she entered my room. "Edward, listen, I'm—"

I couldn't hear it tonight; it would definitely break me in two, so I cut her off, "Goodnight Isabella. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. Let's get some sleep." I hated being rude to her, but I could not let my emotions take over or I would end up crying like a fucking girl. I had to detach myself, just for tonight.

She climbed into the bed and it took every single bit of my willpower not to turn over and pull her to me. No, sex would just make this more difficult for me to handle.

* * *

Sleep did not come easily and once I awoke I realized that no matter how hard I tried to resist Bella, my subconscious couldn't. When I opened my eyes we were nose to nose once again and I was wrapped around her. Dick was already inching his way to her, as well. I sighed and pulled away even though I wanted nothing more than to just hold her all day and forget the night before had ever happened.

I decided to put on a smile and go about our day just as planned. I had to work at midnight so I wanted to get as much enjoyable time in with Bella as possible because I just knew that once I was at the station without distractions I would inevitably be a completely depressed mess.

I took a quick shower and went to the kitchen to start blueberry pancakes—her favorite. I was nearly done when I heard her enter the room. I made a complete idiot out of myself by running my mouth off, but I just couldn't help it. I couldn't shut up.

She looked confused, then quickly righted herself and asked me what I wanted to drink. She walked by me and brushed against my hip and I stiffened unintentionally…so did Dick, although he most likely did it intentionally. _Back the fuck off, dude, not today._

When I asked her how many pancakes she wanted she answered and then asked to talk. I tried to reassure her that I understood—though I really didn't—and then I turned to her telling her I would wait for her forever. And though that was entirely true—I couldn't bear the thought of a day without her now—I still nearly came undone at the thought of having to wait forever. _Fuck, I almost lost it just now. Get it together…_

* * *

After breakfast we both made our way to my bedroom to get ready for my parents. She turned in the doorway and asked me not to give up on her. _My dear Bella, if only you knew how impossible it would be for me to ever give up on you._

She had tears in her eyes and that was all it took. I no longer cared about how I felt or how she had hurt my feelings. I grabbed her face and promised her that I would never give up on her, but in all honesty, my biggest worry was that she would tire of me. I began kissing her slowly and lovingly. She opened her mouth to take a breath and it lit that fire in me that was always simmering just under the surface.

I slipped my tongue between her lips and began exploring her mouth. She moaned and suddenly I was all but dry humping her thigh. I groaned and picked her up, wrapping her legs around me and headed toward the bed.

I continued kissing her ravishingly while we both ripped clothes off of each other. I stopped for a breath and to take a glance at her magnificent body laid before me. I showered her with kisses while whispering, "I love you," between each one. She stopped me right before I reached her waist. _Shit…what's wrong now?_

She grinned and told me to lie down. Not being one to disobey, I did as I was told. When I realized where she was heading, I decided to try something we had never tried before. I slid her around and scooted down so that she was straddling my face. Upon seeing that magnificent sight and having her face positioned right over him, Dick nearly poked her eye out.

Just as I was lifting my head to lick her sweet pussy she licked my cock and I couldn't contain my moan. Evidently the vibrations of that relieved her of any anxieties she had because she started sucking like there was no tomorrow. God, I loved the way this woman's mouth felt on me. We continued to lick and suck each other with fervor, moaning continuously. I was very close. I thrust my hips and moaned against her sex which quickly brought her to orgasm. She squeezed my dick with her mouth and bobbed up and down a few times until I came shortly after.

We didn't even have time to fully appreciate what had just transpired when someone knocked on the front door. _Son of a bitch, I forgot about my parents!_

We both rummaged around getting dressed as fast as we could. I ran to the front door, opening it abruptly…too abruptly. _Shit…stupid move, Cullen._

As soon as my mom saw my face, she started giggling and asked if we needed fifteen more minutes. _Fifteen minutes? Geez Mom, give me some credit here…_ Dick huffed and shook his head.

We made our way to the den and I offered them some champagne. Bella joined us shortly after I began pouring the drinks, and we settled in for a nice visit with one another.

All too soon, we had to meet with the rest of our clan. We went our separate ways from my parents and headed over to the girls' house for a night of Christmas movies and opening presents until it was time for the three of us to head to the station.

We had decided to exchange our gifts with friends first and then separately as couples—Emmett's idea…I could only imagine what his gift for Rose was…

Even though I hadn't known we would be splitting up for our exchange, I did not regret giving Bella her gifts early. I don't think I would have been able to handle going to work right after her rejection.

Bella and I walked into her bedroom and she ushered me to her bed. I was following her with my eyes as she made her way to her closet. When she bent over, Dick had different ideas for what he was hoping our gift was. This time I had to agree with him.

When Bella turned around she had the Grinch grin and my heart skipped a beat. _This can't be good for either of us, Dick…_

She handed me the first gift. It was a small box the size of an average book. I looked up before I peeled back the paper and Bella was biting the insides of her cheeks…as if she was holding back laughter.

I finished unwrapping the box to see a month's supply of Viagra. My jaw dropped. Dick started convulsing. I looked over at Bella and she was turning red then suddenly she started wailing with laughter. She was even slapping her knee. Tears started pouring from her eyes and she slid off of the bed onto the floor, still laughing hysterically. I threw the box in her lap and said, "Very funny, Isabella." Then I started laughing with her.

She finally caught her breath and handed me a small shirt box. I unwrapped it and lifted the lid. I pulled out the first piece of clothing that appeared to be boxers. They were designed like an election sign with red, white, and blue stars and stripes all over. When I lifted them the front had big bold letters that said:

_Erect Dick!_

_He will stand up for you!_

I busted out laughing and looked over to see Bella laughing too. I grabbed her and kissed her hard on her lips and then her chin, "God, I love you woman!"

She giggled and then pointed at the box for me to continue. There was another pair of boxers. I was almost afraid to look at them. They were solid white and when I raised them out of the box, the right leg had small print on it. It said, "I have a" then a red heart, then it continued with "on for Bella." I chuckled and said, "Ain't that the truth." Dick decided it was time to show Bella just how true these boxers were. She noticed and shoved my chest. She mumbled something about _insatiable_ and then handed me a few bags.

The next few bags had several different pieces of clothing. I jokingly asked her if she was ashamed to be seen in public with me or something, but she told me in all seriousness that she never sees me spend money on myself and wanted to lavish me with nice clothes. I laughed at her when she said lavish and she slapped me.

Finally, I had opened the last bag and put them all aside, ready to thank her properly. Wouldn't you know, Dick perked right back up.

She held up her hand for me to stay still and she went over to her dresser, opening the top drawer. Dick raised up even further thinking that surely there would be some very sexy lingerie coming out of that top drawer, but then she pulled out three small boxes and he whimpered.

I looked at her quizzically and said, "More? Seriously? You really shouldn't have." She just rolled her eyes and shoved the first box in my face.

I shook my head and began opening it. I pulled out a Zippo matte over chrome lighter with an inscription that read:

_To my super hot FIREman_

_Forever yours,_

_Isabella_

I grinned, "Super hot, huh?"

She smiled sweetly, "Hot enough to need a fire extinguisher." She stuck out her tongue playfully, but I wanted nothing more than to suck on that tongue. Dick had his own ideas of what he wanted her tongue to do…and he was getting impatient….

"Open the next one, Mr. McHottie." She said, shaking her head.

The next one was a silver Heritage pocketknife with brown wood inlay. The engraving on this simply said, "Seattle Fire Chief." I opened it and checked it out for a few minutes while complimenting how it looked like it came from the old west. When I flipped it over I saw the initials B.P.S.G. I know my face had to show my confusion because Bella started giggling.

She crawled over to me and with the sexiest voice she had ever used before she whispered in my ear, "Bella's personal sex god." She followed that with a quick lick over the shell of my ear and sat back down. Dick started weaseling his way out of my pants, and I had to physically push him back down, causing Bella to grin wickedly. "One more box and then Dick can have his gift." She wiggled her eyebrows. _Oh God!_

I huffed and shook my head slowly. Opening the next box, I saw a silver Heritage pocket watch and I gasped. My grandfather had a watch almost exactly like it. I looked up to tell Bella and she smiled, nodding her head, "I know. Esme told me." I now had a lump in my throat. The fact that she knew it resembled my grandfather's watch made it mean even more. I took a deep breath and read the inscription:

_You set my heart on fire_

_Fire in the flame of love_

_Higher, higher_

_Than the stars above_

I hadn't even finished reading the lyrics before Bella had turned on her iPod and started the song—quite loudly as a matter of fact. I glanced up to see that she was dancing rather seductively and removing her clothes. _Holy God in heaven, this is the best Christmas ever!_ Dick was already doing a striptease of his own.

Dick and I properly thanked her for our gifts several times over the course of the next hour. The three of us then cuddled in the bed for a bit longer before we had to reconvene in the living room with our friends.

* * *

The atmosphere in the house shifted around 11:00. Everyone seemed to be uneasy about our separation this time…more so than usual. I had thought it was simply because it was Christmas—our first Christmas together as couples.

We cuddled for the next thirty minutes. When it was time to go, I grabbed Bella and kissed her so passionately that it felt as if my heart would explode. _Damn, I loved that woman so fucking much!_

I walked out the door and felt as if my heart stayed behind—being ripped from my chest.

* * *

We hadn't been at the station for very long when we were alerted of a fire at the Northgate Branch of the Seattle Public Library. I remembered this library. It was a huge building covered in glass. This was bad, very bad.

We quickly suited up and ran to the trucks in record time. As soon as we turned onto Fifth Avenue we could see the police already setting up barricades on each end of the street. We approached the library and I could see cars blocking the entrance, having been abandoned right in the middle of the street. The surrounding buildings were being evacuated causing complete chaos in every direction.

We jumped out of the trucks swiftly—barely coming to a complete stop. Once the sirens were silenced, we could hear children crying and car alarms blaring. The officers were shouting for everyone to vacate the premises.

My boys were so well trained I didn't even need to shout commands; everyone was already doing their job. I ran up the steps to the entrance like a flash. Upon opening the door I was immediately taken aback. Smoke coated the air like a blanket hovering over our heads. Fire crackled and roared, sparks spitting out of every flame.

"Shit, look at the books, dude, they are just like kindling for this damn fire." Emmett said as we walked further into the library. The flames were tarnishing the bindings of the classics, science fiction and nonfictions as they began melting together. Pages upon pages burned, blackened and shriveling, until they were nothing more than ashes and soot.

We rushed further and further into the building looking for any signs of life. So far it appeared that everyone had evacuated in time, but we had to be sure.

The heat was intense; droplets of sweat were sliding down my face and neck. My eyes watered and burned from the smoldering air around me. The scent of burning metal tore through my senses and stung my nose.

I heard glass shattering in several places throughout the building. I knew this was rapidly turning too dangerous. We had to get out as fast as possible.

"Boys, we need to kick this into high gear. This building is becoming an inferno; the structure won't be able to handle it for long." I told Emmett and Jasper.

If the situation wasn't so terrible, it would have almost been majestic. The fire was taking on a life of its own, an angry force to be reckoned with, trying to lay claim to everything in its path.

I knew we had to stick together. The smoke was becoming so thick we were nearly encompassed by darkness, with very little sign of light. My body went on autopilot, every sense heightened to make up for what was lacking. I could feel Jasper and Emmett in back of me and knew they were experiencing the same thing.

Glass shards that had been strewn across the floor crunched beneath the weight of our boots as we neared the center of the second floor. I heard a sound coming from the left of us. I saw a flashlight peering toward us. It was Seth.

"Chief, you need to get out now! The building is becoming unstable. We need to go immediately!" He shouted.

"Alright boys. I'm pretty sure that no one is in the building, we need to get out of here now!" I told them as we turned and started to head back down to the first floor.

We made our way down the stairs and passed one of the office doors that was shut. As I listened, I could hear what sounded like moaning. I put my hand on the knob and as I turned it I heard the boys shout, "CHIEF! NO!" But it was too late.

As soon as the door cracked the slightest bit and oxygen entered the room, an enormous explosion erupted throwing the four of us back against the wall on the opposite side of the room. _Fuck, backdraft…stupid, stupid…I didn't even check…_

Suddenly it was as though there was a buzzing in my ears making all sounds around me muffled and dulled…I was losing consciousness.

As I realized what was about to happen, my mind instantly flashed to Bella. My beautiful Bella. I saw her in my mind's eye standing right in front of me and my last conscious thought was of the woman who had made my life complete.

**The inscription on the pocket watch is from the song "You Set My Heart on Fire" originally by Tina Charles, but I like the version by Helena Paparizou better. That will be in my profile as well.**

**I know this chapter didn't answer a lot of your questions, but now we know how he felt as he was drifting into unconsciousness. Show him some love so he can get better sooner.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Here it is. We find out how the guys turned out. I'm not going to say much up here. We will chat at the bottom ;)**

**Thanks so much to my betas SBA and AS08! You guys are the wind beneath my wings (yeah, it's corny, but I am running out of metaphors here! Help me out ppl!)**

**Alice sings this song to Bella—it is so beautiful. If you want to listen while she sings, it is here (and also on my profile): www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=vmzo3KxP5wo **

**SM owns. I just play with them.**

BPOV

I could hear a blood curdling scream echoing somewhere around me. The cacophony of the screeching compelled me to cover my ears as I tried to block it out. I squeezed my eyes shut and rocked back and forth, unable to catch my breath, when suddenly I could feel hands all over me. Panic stricken, I tried to push them away, but to no avail, they seemed to return more aggressively. They were on my face, my shoulders, in my hair, on my back, and on my knees. Finally, the hands began shaking me. I felt like shouting for those hands to leave me the fuck alone but when I went to open my mouth I realized that my mouth was already opened and apparently already screaming. _What the fuck?_

I slowly opened my eyes to see Alice and Rosalie kneeling beside me with horrified expressions and their mouths moving haphazardly. I couldn't hear what they were saying and it was then that I remembered that I had my hands over my ears. I dropped my hands and was immediately bombarded with their shouts of concern and questions.

"Bella! What the fuck happened? What's wrong, please tell me!!" Alice was squeaking higher than usual.

"Ange…pho…bad…Ed…sorry…so…sorry." I was crying and unable to breathe a complete breath, therefore I couldn't even get a sentence out.

"Honey, calm down and tell us what happened." Rose said gently, while rubbing circles on my knees.

I held up my cell and tried again, "Edw…hosp…help…Ange." I started breathing erratically again.

Before I even finished my blubbering mess of a sentence, Alice had snatched my phone and looked at the caller ID. "Angela…shit!" She hit send. I was too disoriented to hear what Angela was saying, on the other end, but I could hear Alice's responses. "What? Oh my God! How bad, Ange? FUCK! We're coming, right now!" She hung up the phone and grabbed my shoulders, "Bella, baby, you need to get up. We have to get to the hospital. Snap out of it, girl!" She pulled me up and looked at Rose, "Rose, fuck…it's bad, really bad! The boys were caught up in a backdraft. She didn't say much but right now they are all unconscious." Alice was crying by this point and Rose immediately stood up and ran out of the room.

Alice helped me throw a pair of sweatpants on over my boy shorts and pulled me behind her to her bedroom. She quickly changed out of her pajamas and grabbed her purse off of her dresser, then pulled me toward the front door. As we reached the front door Rose was coming right beside us. We each slipped on our shoes and rushed out of the house. We made it to the driveway where Rose demanded to drive since it was evident Alice and I were not the best candidates for the task.

The ride to the hospital, though it took a mere five minutes, seemed to go on for hours. Alice shouted at Rose repeatedly. At one point, she told her that we could have walked faster and Rose replied, "If you don't shut the hell up, you will be going to the hospital via ambulance." The pipsqueak actually shut up. We pulled up to the ER entrance and Rose didn't even bother to park. She threw the keys at the valet and said, "You know what to do, now get the fuck on with it."

* * *

The three of us ran straight to the nurses' station and Rose shouted to Angela, "What the fuck is going on, Ange? Tell us what happened! Where are they?"

Angela had no ties to our boys and yet she was such a good friend to us that she was obviously extremely shaken up over the whole situation. She tried to remain calm, but it was difficult for her, especially with Rose's menacing tone. Speaking softly, she said, "You girls should really come to the on-call room with me so I can explain because it may take a few minutes. Don't worry, there is nothing you can do right now, they are being seen and worked on by the ER doctors. You'll have to wait anyway, so please follow me."

We walked briskly to the on-call room where Angela waited for us to sit down. No one made a move to do so, so she began. "The Seattle Library on 5th was on fire last night." When she said this Alice and I gasped and whimpered. We had been in that library several times. It was an absolutely beautiful building, however, being encompassed in glass made horrible conditions for a fire.

Angela continued and explained that one of the boys had opened a door to a room void of oxygen which caused an explosion and threw the four of them against a wall on the far side of the main hall—50 yards away! Jared had heard the explosion and grabbed some men to go in to rescue the guys. They were all unconscious and Emmett and Jasper appeared to be burned pretty badly.

Alice and Rose sobbed when she mentioned Em and Jazz. I couldn't even think straight. All I could do was replay how I had hurt Edward the night before and if that was the last thing I ever did before I lost him, I would never be able to live with myself.

"We need to call their parents?" I slurred. Angela paused, and then slowly nodded her head.

I grabbed my cell and called Esme and at the same time Rose and Alice called Emmett and Jazz's parents respectively. Robotically, I walked out into the hall as I waited for her to answer.

"Bella! What is it? Is it Edward?" I was shocked for a moment but then I realized it was 4am, surely she would know something was wrong.

I croaked, "Esme, you need to get to the hospital. The boys were hurt in an explosion. We don't know the extent of it yet. They are still being seen by the doctors, but evidently they are all unconscious right now."

"Oh God! I knew this would happen!" She was sobbing and shouting for Carlisle. "We will be there straightaway, Bella, we are just around the corner. Thank you for calling us." As she disconnected the call I heard her whimper.

I walked back into the room, dragging my feet to the back wall, and then slumped down against it. I could hear Alice and Rose crying on their phones. Rose ended her call first and came over to kneel beside me. She pulled me into a hug and began rubbing my back. I was numb. I couldn't react in any way.

Alice finished her call and came over to join us on the floor. She wrapped her tiny arms around both of us and just wept. She whispered through her tears, "It's going to be alright, girls. You know we have the best doctors in this hospital. Our boys will be well taken care of."

Several minutes later, Angela's pager went off and we all jerked our heads up. She glanced down then looked at us. "Let's go see what Dr. Shelby has to say."

We shuffled out into the hall making our way back to the nurses' station. He saw us coming and ushered us into the waiting area.

As soon as we were inside the room he turned around and held up his hands letting us know to not interrupt, and he immediately began. "First of all, let me tell you all four guys are currently in stable condition. Please have a seat so I can explain the situation."

We each sat down and huddled together. My chest was getting tight as if a huge rubber band was wrapped around me. I felt as if all of my oxygen was being stripped from my lungs. The room was starting to spin and my vision was getting blurry. Dr. Shelby looked at me, his eyes widening, and said, "Bella, you need to put your head between your knees."

Rose helped me to lean forward and as I felt all of the blood rush to my head, my breathing started to stabilize. I took a few deep breaths and raised my head back up. "I'm sorry, guys. Please continue doctor."

"Well, Emmett is awake now and has suffered minimal injuries. He has first degree burns in a few areas and his leg was broken in three places. They are setting his leg right now and, Rosalie, you may have to work your magic on him, but you can be the judge on that." At the mention of Emmett being conscious, Rose breathed a sigh of relief.

Dr. Shelby continued, "However, we do know that you will most definitely have to work on Jasper."

Alice squeaked. "Jazzy? How bad is it?" She jumped from her seat, quickly becoming frantic.

"Jasper has two broken ribs and third degree burns covering approximately twenty-five percent of his body. We actually need you to get in there right away, Rose. Most of his burns are on his neck and chest, and the doctors are worried about the obstruction of his airways as well as any constriction that might interfere with chest wall movement making him unable to breathe adequately."

Alice grabbed Rose by the shoulders. "Rose! You better fix him! It's my Jazzy, Rose! You have to! Don't let him die! Go! Go help him! NOW!" She was getting more hysterical by the minute.

Rose steadied Alice by placing her arm around her shoulders and said, "Calm down hon. Now that I know that Em is going to be okay, I can concentrate 100% on Jasper, don't you worry. He is going to be okay. I will do everything I can. Nothing will happen to the boys on my watch…not if I can help it!" With that said, she turned and confidently walked out of the room.

Dr. Shelby continued, "Seth is still unconscious. He suffered smoke inhalation and is being resuscitated using the Parkland formula. He seems to be responding well, and hopefully should be okay within the next day or two."

Suddenly, my anger seemed to just give me a burst of energy and I jumped up and shouted, "Okay, I think I've been patient long enough. You haven't mentioned Edward. I know how things work here and I am not someone off the street. Tell me how he is! I need to know now!"

Dr. Shelby took a deep breath and looked down at his feet. He slowly let out his breath, swallowed loudly and licked his lips, then began quietly, "Edward has suffered from CO toxicity and a concussion. We performed CPR on him as soon as he arrived and he is now stable, but still unconscious. He is currently halfway through his hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). We won't know his prognosis is until after the therapy has finished, but I have to warn you…as it stands right now, it doesn't look good. Obviously, he is going to be intubated for some time. We are also fairly certain he will be comatose from the head trauma—we just don't know for how long, or if he will be able to recover. We can only hope for the best. He is very fortunate to not have any burns which would make his situation even more dire."

My knees went weak, so weak that I fell to the floor. Dr. Shelby rushed over to me and helped me into a chair. "Bella, we are doing everything possible right now. Unfortunately we are going to have to wait and leave it up to Edward as to how he will respond to treatment. He is in the best hands possible, I am sure you know this. I know it doesn't make it any easier for you, but I promise you we are doing everything we can." Dr. Shelby was rubbing my shoulders as he spoke.

I nodded numbly. I could then hear shuffling coming from beside me and I looked over to see Esme and Carlisle walking into the waiting room.

Esme rushed over to me and knelt down. She wrapped her arms around me. "Oh, sweetheart!" She was sobbing profusely. "He will be okay. Edward is strong, so very strong. And he loves you. You are enough to make him fight to live. He will be okay, dear, I just know it." Esme was speaking as if she was trying to convince herself just as much as me. I could hear Carlisle and Dr. Shelby talking about all of the specifics of Edward's condition. My mind was too fuzzy to focus right, so I just paid attention to Carlisle's voice. So far it didn't sound hopeless, so that was helpful. However, his outcome weighed significantly on his response to the HBOT.

* * *

We sat anxiously in the waiting room. I was going insane. I wanted to be in there helping. I'm a doctor for fuck's sake! I should be able to fix him. His precious life could be slipping away and all I seemed to be able to do was sit there shuddering. My instincts were screaming at me to do something and yet I was forced to do nothing. Don't get me wrong, I understood why we couldn't have loved ones as patients, but when you know someone you love is being cared for by someone other than yourself, it's difficult to just stand around and allow it. I knew Esme and Carlisle had to be going crazy as well.

There was nothing I could do but wait. My mind was buzzing with thoughts and worries and emotions, but I refused to entertain any of them, I didn't want to consider the outcome, it was too painful. I couldn't imagine a life without him, it's as though he has always been here, always a part of me. And I just couldn't bear the thought of that part being ripped away from me.

Alice had paced back and forth repeatedly, never stopping, when Dr. Shelby finally came back in. He had a somber expression on his face. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. Esme and Carlisle stood up. I did not trust my legs enough to even attempt to stand.

Dr. Shelby looked at Edward's parents and said, "If you would follow me to the consult room, please."

Esme gasped loudly and fell back into the seat sobbing and mumbling, "NO!" into her hands. I groaned loudly, "Please, God, no!" Carlisle calmly pulled Esme up by the arm and she grabbed my hand pulling me along.

Dr. Shelby looked at me apologetically, "Bella, I am so sorry, but you know only family is allowed into that room..."

I inhaled sharply, but before I could try to convince him to break the rules, Esme had pushed me in front of her and glared at the doctor. "Bella _IS_ family, thank you. You will let her come with us." Esme had changed her tone of voice to one of authority and Dr. Shelby knew not to even attempt to protest.

Part of me—no, in truth, all of me—didn't want to go to that room. I had been there before, on both the giving and receiving ends. Nothing good ever came out of the consult room.

Esme and I stood at the threshold, warring with ourselves over whether to cross or stay outside in denial. Carlisle looked behind him, noticing we hadn't moved, and gently took us both by the hands, pulling us forward. "This is not the end, ladies. Don't give up on him."

Dr. Shelby sat at the head of the oblong table. He rested his hands in front of him, fingers spread, palms flat. When he took a deep breath and lifted his eyes to look at us, the whole room began to spin and swirl about me. Oxygen had left me and the burning crept over my lungs, charring my heart. The breaths would not come and my vision was blurred, distorting everything in my sight. The only sounds my mind could register were muffled as though they were coming from behind a glass wall and not from right beside me.

I vaguely heard Dr. Shelby speaking of the HBOT and saying something about not getting the results they had hoped for and then my mind completely lost focus. I couldn't bear to hear the next words coming from his mouth, but then inevitably my mind refocused and then clear as day I heard, "You should prepare for the worst," right before I blacked out.

* * *

I was slowly becoming aware of a pungent smell and I tried blinking my eyes open when I noticed my surroundings. _Shit!_ I was in the on-call room lying down, smelling salts being waved in front of my nostrils. I raised up quickly when Lauren grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back down.

"You need to take it slowly Bella. You passed out in the consult room. You are now in the on-call room."

I shoved her away from me, "Get the fuck off of me, Lauren! I know where I am! I need to get to Edward."

I stood and swayed a bit, still being slightly woozy, and started making my way out into the hall. I started to head to the patient rooms when I realized I had no clue where Edward's room was. I rushed toward the nurses' station when Victoria called after me.

"Bella! There you are! Edward's parents told me to come and get you. They are in Edward's room. Come on." She took me by the hand and started pulling me behind her quickly.

As we passed the waiting room, I heard Angela shouting for me. I stopped abruptly and told Victoria to wait a minute while I updated Angela and Alice.

After I told them the small amount that I knew of Edward's situation, they decided to follow me to his room. I was glad because I needed all of the support I could get to keep me strong for Edward.

I pushed open the door to Edward's room and the sight before me nearly caused me to collapse again. Edward, my beautiful Edward, was lying on the bed, an intubation tube coming from his mouth and scratches and bruises all over his perfect face. I started sobbing, again, gaining Esme and Carlisle's attention.

Carlisle, who had been standing near the end of Edward's bed, came over to me and pulled me into a hug. Esme remained at Edward's bedside cradling his hand against her face occasionally kissing his knuckles.

Carlisle ushered me to the lounge chair near the window and proceeded to tell me that Edward was in a coma, but it was from the head trauma, not the CO tox. This was wonderful news, however, the next few days would be crucial. Having seen coma patients so many times before, I already knew this…and I also knew how many times the loved ones left unhappy. _Please, God, don't let me, us, be one of those loved ones…PLEASE!_

Angela excused herself in order to go back to work. Alice and I both hugged her and thanked her for everything she had done for us up to that point.

Alice came over and curled up beside me on the lounge chair and we both sat quietly, each contemplating how our life had changed so suddenly. The room had been silent for a long while when Carlisle whispered, "Esme, my love, I know you really want to stay here, but you have got to get some sleep. Being here will do nothing but tire you. It is going to take time. I know that you know this. I know you want to be well rested for when he finally awakens."

Esme started to protest, but apparently she then realized how close she was to her breaking point, she succumbed to Carlisle's suggestion. She stood and looked down at Edward. Bending forward to place a kiss on his cheek she whispered, "Mommy will be back soon, baby. I love you." That was it for me. I had been doing so well in keeping it together, but to hear Esme speaking to Edward in that manner, and knowing how much she loved him…it was heartbreaking. I sobbed uncontrollably.

I stood and shuffled over to them and we huddled into a group hug. Esme kissed me on the top of my head and mumbled, "Please watch over my baby, Bella. It comforts me to know he'll have someone who loves him watching over him while I'm gone." I gasped and swallowed back more tears before promising her that I would do my best.

Carlisle put his arm around Esme's shoulder and led her out of the room with her faintly weeping into his side.

Once they were gone, I delicately climbed onto the bed and wrapped myself around Edward, and kissed his neck repeatedly.

I heard Alice moving the lounge chair and I raised my head to see her pulling it closer to the bed. Once she had it situated within a mere centimeter of the bed, she laid down, but not before reaching over to hold my hand. We made eye contact and without needing to say a word we showed our thanks to each other.

After a while of sitting in silence, I dozed off. The dreams went from cuddling with Edward to watching him become depressed over my rejection and then finally settling on him burning in a fire. I woke sweating and crying and then I squeezed him harder. I would give anything to be able to go back.

Several hours later Angela came in noiselessly. She saw that I was awake and came over to speak with me quietly. "Jasper is out of surgery, should we wake Alice?" she whispered.

I sat up quickly, "Yes! Is he okay?"

I was already climbing out of the bed to shake Alice awake when she responded, "He will be fine, Rose did a tremendous job."

I barely touched Alice's shoulder and she shot up out of her chair, "Jazzy!!!" She realized where she was and looked around the room quickly before her eyes landed on Angela. "Where is he?"

Angela said, "He is out of surgery and he is going to be fine. You owe a lot to Rose; she is terrific at her job. He is heavily medicated with morphine, so you most likely won't be speaking to him for quite some time, but you can stay in his room, now. I can show you where he is."

Alice came running to me and hugged me with all of the force her tiny little body could emit. "Oh, Belly! He's okay! I just knew he would be!"

I wanted so badly to be happy for her, but the love of my life was a foot away and I _didn't_ know if he was going to be okay. I hugged her back and couldn't stop the tears that were now pouring from of my eyes. I tried to cry quietly but the harder she hugged me the more the sounds erupted. The next thing I knew I was wailing again and I slipped out of her grasp onto the floor where I curled up into the fetal position and let loose the most embarrassing howl.

Alice sat down on the floor beside me and murmured, "I am so sorry, hun. I know this is hard for you. He is going to be okay, trust me. Remember, I know these things." She laughed gently, but it wasn't an encouraging laugh because we both knew this was one time she really _didn't_ know anything.

She pulled my head into her lap and smoothed back my hair. She started singing the song we had always sung to each other when we were depressed.

_It's going to be alright_

_I can tell by your eyes that you're not getting any sleep  
And you try to rise above it, but feel you're sinking in too deep  
Oh, oh I believe, I believe that_

_It's going to be alright_

_I believe you'll outlive this pain in you heart  
And you'll gain such a strength from what is tearing you apart  
Oh, oh I believe I believe that_

_It's going to be alright_

_When some time has passed us, and the story is retold  
It will mirror the strength and the courage in your soul  
Oh, oh, I believe I believe,_

_I believe_

_I did not come here to offer you clichés  
I will not pretend to know of all your pain  
Just when you cannot, then I will hold out faith, for you_

_It's going to be alright_

I rose up, squeezed her neck and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Go see your fiancé, I will be okay." I smile reassuringly. "I am so sorry. I just needed to let it out. Come back and see me after you have spent some time with him. I love you, Allykins. Thank you so much for everything."

She kissed my forehead and promised to return soon. Angela hugged me, also promising to return, and they both walked out of the room.

I turned and looked at the magnificent, yet broken man lying before me. I started sobbing again as I walked over to his bed and climbed back onto it. I wrapped my leg around Edward's and shoved my arm under his pillow then began playing with his hair with my other hand.

"I love you, baby. I'm so sorry."

He was so good and so brave and not just because he put his life on the line for complete strangers everyday. Even with me he was always so fearless, never afraid to lay his feelings out there for me to take and do with them as I pleased, while I couldn't summon up enough courage to allow myself to open up and just accept what he had to offer me.

_If he comes through this, I will never doubt our relationship again. Nothing he asks of me will be too soon. Time is too precious and I am not going to waste another minute of the time I have left with him. I am not my mother. I am responsible and this man loves me as much as I love him, if not more. I will quit being afraid. From now on, it's all or nothing. No more fence straddling._

**Ok…so we know a **_**little**_** bit more. Sorry it wasn't a lot, but…well, Bella has to sit around and worry, so we do too :(**

**I am not sure if you guys missed my A/N last time or if you just don't care (LOL) but I have two outtakes for this story. I have more planned, but have been so busy with this chapter and the following chapter that I haven't written more outtakes. They are lighthearted and they should make you smile while you wait for Edward.**

**So, please show me some love. I have been heartbroken writing these last few chapters. My updates are taking longer because…well, I have to take a break and read some fluff to get my mind off of this in order for it not to turn out total crap! Forgive me? Lots and lots of reviews will make it so much easier and I can update faster *hint, hint***

**Thank you EVERYONE for reading!!!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Well, I had this update for you guys, but ffnet decided to have an epic fail this weekend. So, I am sorry it is coming a bit late. Also, I think my bronchitis has come back with a vengeance, so please forgive me if this next update doesn't come very fast :(**

**Another thing, I forgot to give a shout out to my friends Mopstyle and Detroitangel for helping with the last chapter—please forgive me bbs!**

**As usual, I want to thank my totally wonderful betas, SBA and AS08, you are the whip cream on my pumpkin pie!**

**The song going through Bella's head at the end is Comatose by Skillet. This, like Hero, was a song I had planned from the very beginning especially for this chapter. My profile will have this video along with many other things from this and other chapters. www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=gablEKsjlWg**

**SM owns, I just give them drama.**

BPOV

"Bella, sweetheart…you really need to take a break. It's been five days. You can't stay cooped up in here forever. I understand that you don't want to leave his side, but you have got to take care of yourself," Esme chided.

Five days. She had to remind me how long it had been, didn't she. I knew it had been five days. I also knew that each day passing took with it a bit of our hope for Edward's recovery. She didn't have to remind me that I wasn't eating, I wasn't sleeping and I hadn't left his room except to go to the bathroom. I'm sure I looked like straight shit, but I didn't care…well, except for the fact that I really didn't want Edward to see me this way if he woke up, I mean when he woke up, yes, _when_. However, that wasn't enough incentive for me to leave his side to get myself cleaned up.

"Bella, listen to me. If you don't take care of yourself, you are going to end up in your very own room in this hospital and then you'll be forced to be separated from Edward. I know you don't want that. You need to eat, you need to sleep, and for goodness sake, honey, please go get a shower!"

She was teasing me, but I didn't react. I really didn't react to anything anymore. I was physically paralyzed. I wish I could say I was emotionally paralyzed, but unfortunately…well, my emotions were working overtime. I had cried, I had screamed, I had laughed—with sarcasm, of course—and I had cried and screamed some more. The only reason I wasn't doing any of these things this very second was because I had now lost my voice. I really didn't care about that, though. There was only one person I wanted to talk to, so I didn't need my voice.

"Alice and Rose will be here soon. Jasper is being released today. I don't know if anyone told you." Esme said quietly.

Alice had been giving me daily updates—she didn't care if I was paying attention or not. Seth had since awakened and had been released. Emmett, being the least wounded, had been released within two days of the accident. Jasper had recovered as much as he was going to in the hospital and was now being released to go home to continue his recovery. He would most likely have to have at least one followup surgery, but that wouldn't be for several months.

Everyone was getting better except for my Edward. How does one respond to that? They don't. Hence, the reason I hadn't spoken to anyone for the last four days—with the exception of Edward, of course. I only unwrapped myself from his body when the nurses forced me to in order to assess him or bathe him. I'm sure they didn't approve of my lying beside him 24/7, but after the screaming episode I had the morning following the accident—when they told me I would be more comfortable on the lounge chair—they didn't voice their disapproval.

A timid knock rang through the silent room and the door slowly opened. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Alice and Rose shuffle in somberly. They both glanced my way before walking toward Esme, who was sitting on the couch.

"She's still not speaking?" Alice whispered. _I still can't understand why people think you need to whisper when in the room of a coma patient…_

Esme didn't verbally answer, but by Alice's dejected sigh, I knew she had shaken her head negatively.

I could hear heels clicking behind me alerting me that Alice was coming over to chastise me. I felt her hand on my shoulder. She started rubbing circles with her thumb, and with her other hand she pulled my hair back from my face. She leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

She raised back up and began running her fingers through my hair. "Belly?" She paused…only for a dramatic effect—she knew I wasn't going to answer her. "Baby, you have to go home and get yourself cleaned up and you need to eat. You just need a break from this room. Clear your head. I don't want to do this, but if you don't leave this room for at least a full ninety minutes, I am going to call Dr. Shelby and have him call security. You know I'll do it, Belly. Please don't make me, even if it's for your own good." The whole time she spoke, she continued to rub my shoulder consolingly and play with my hair.

I exhaled exasperatingly and shifted to look her in the eye. I didn't need to say anything for her to see my defeated look and know she had won. She smiled sweetly and whispered, "It's for the best, sweetie. He would be so angry if he knew you had become comatose right beside him. Would you like for me to go with you?"

I shook my head furiously and furrowed my brows together. I spoke in a whisper, "I'll be fine. I don't think I could handle you hovering over me." I tried to wink at her letting her know that I meant it all in good fun, even though it really was the truth.

I wrenched myself away from Edward reluctantly. Tears slipped from my eyes as I forced myself out of his room and into the elevator. I felt like I'd left more than a piece of my heart in that room…more like a huge fucking chunk of it. I decided that I had to hurry and get back to Edward as soon as humanly possible.

* * *

I was barely a block from the hospital when I was bombarded with memories of times we had spent in my truck. I remembered when we met, and he drove us to his house where we had our first incredible night of passion.

I remembered the afternoon Emmett was released from the hospital and Edward nearly caused me to have an accident during his exploration with his magical fingers. Tears were now flowing so fast down my face that I couldn't even wipe them away before they dripped from my chin and pooled on my shirt, soaking it in the process.

We had so many memories in my truck since I had driven most everywhere we went. When I stopped at a red light, I remembered how he would always lean over and kiss me softly every single time we stopped. Sometimes he would suck on my earlobe, sometimes he would squeeze my thigh, and sometimes he would just nuzzle his face into crook of my neck. Nevertheless, he never missed a red light or a stop sign. It always made me feel so loved. _I just want to feel his touch again…_

It was a miracle that I even made it home. I had been crying so profusely that I couldn't see through the tears. I parked my truck and sat in the cab for a few minutes just trying to regain my composure, but it was futile. I wouldn't be content until I was back in his arms…and even _that_ contentment was fleeting.

I stepped onto my porch and glanced over at the porch swing and my heart broke a little more. One evening in September, the weather was absolutely gorgeous so we decided to take a walk. After our walk, we sat outside on the porch swing. I had laid my head in Edward's lap as he played with my hair. We had been swinging for about ten minutes when out of the blue he began singing. The song that he sang to me had me in tears from laughing. He sang John Anderson's "Swingin'" complete with the country hillbilly twang. Of course he replaced 'Charlotte Johnson" with 'Bella Swa-an' and I laughed even harder.

I shook my head clear and focused on the front door. _How am I going to be able to do anything without memories of Edward assaulting me everywhere I turn?_

I walked into the house and hung my keys on the key hook beside the front door, dropping my purse on the floor nearby. I took in a lungful of air and blew it out through pursed lips then glanced around the room. I knew it was coming. Everywhere I looked I could see Edward. _Let's get this over with…_

I could see him shoving me against the door and ravaging my neck on the night we spent watching Romeo and Juliet at the local theater. Edward had whispered every one of Romeo's lines in my ear and he had me immensely hot and bothered by the time we left the theater. The whole way home, he licked and sucked my neck and he repeatedly tried to reach his hands up the skirt of my dress, but luckily I was able to deflect his attempts.

I walked further into the house and passed the kitchen where I remembered one morning when we woke up before the girls and decided to make chocolate chip waffles to surprise them. I must say they were quite surprised when they came into the kitchen to find us both covered in chocolate chip pancake batter and licking it off of each other. When Rose cleared her throat, we simply moved our make-out session into the shower…amazingly without breaking contact.

I glanced toward the living room as I made my way to my bedroom. I saw the night we fell asleep on the couch watching home videos that I had brought back from my dad's house. Every time he saw the young, awkward version of me he would say how adorable I was and how much he wished he had known me earlier in my life. We fell asleep during one of my disastrous dance recitals.

I turned toward my bedroom and an image of Dick in all of his pink-tinted glory quickly flashed in my mind and I chuckled sadly. Yes, I was mourning for Dick as well.

I walked into my bedroom and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Images flooded my mind so rapidly that I couldn't stop them. Edward massaging my shoulders as I sat at my desk typing an email to my mom; Edward dancing with me in the middle of the floor when 'Alone' came on my iPod—both of us singing along to every word; Edward searching through my closet after I made a bet with him that he couldn't find anything pink in my whole room; Edward seeing a spider by my dresser and jumping onto the bed—his entire body convulsing and him verbally assaulting the arachnid; and torturously, the worst was saved for last…the many times we made love: on my purple flowered comforter, bent over the bed, on my desk chair, on my desk, against the wall, and even in the closet.

I slumped against the door, and slid down onto the floor, not having the strength to even make it to my bed. I fumbled with my pocket and retrieved my cell phone. I picked speed dial 4 and hit send. I quickly put it on speaker phone before dropping it on the floor along with the rest of my body and my head.

Three rings later and I heard that annoying shrill come through the speaker, "Bella! Hey hun! What's up, homegirl?" _Yeah, Mom was still trying to be __the __'hip' friend instead of a mother._

I croaked out, "Mom…" I whimpered, "I need you." That was all I was able to get out, but it was enough. My mom knew that I was not one to just call and tell her that I needed her on a whim and that this had to be an emergency.

"Oh my God, baby, what's wrong? Are you okay? Where are you? Has something happened to your dad? One of your friends? What is it, baby?"

"It's Edward…Mom, he was in an explosion…and awful explosion. He was hurt really bad. He's in a coma. It doesn't look good." I choked on my words, "I am so scared. I can't live without him, Mom. He is my life—my everything." I hoped she could hear me…I still had no voice and was speaking in a whisper.

"Baby, I am so sorry! Give me thirty minutes and I'll call you right back, I promise. I'm going to see when the soonest flight is so I can come up there. I'll let you know. Okay, baby? I love you, Bella. It's going to be okay."

I simply grunted and pushed the end button. I didn't move a muscle. I stayed curled up in a ball with my knees tucked into my chest just staring at my bed lost in memory after memory that I couldn't shake. The memories were beautiful, but all I could think about was how I might never get the chance to make new ones. _What if these were all that I was allowed to make?_

Finally, after what felt like years, my phone buzzed against the floor. I hit the speaker button, "Mom?"

"Yeah, baby, it's me. Look, I have a flight going out in five hours. I'll be there as soon as possible, okay?"

"Okay, Mom. His room is 328, that's where I'll be. Thanks, Mom, I love you."

"Of course, baby. I love you, too. I'll see you soon. Try to keep it together, sweetie." She said as she ended the call. _Yeah, sure, Mom…whatever._

I eventually willed my body to move and made my way to my dresser to grab some clothes. Methodically I took a shower and dressed, not even bothering to clean up after myself. I then grabbed an overnight bag and filled it with God only knows what kinds of clothes, since I wasn't paying any attention whatsoever. I ran to the bathroom and grabbed the toiletries I needed. _At least now I__ could__ get by without leaving his room for a few more days._

I was back on the road in record time and pulling into the hospital parking lot shortly after. I quickly rushed back to his room, swinging the door open. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I saw Edward still in the same position, of course, and his mother sitting beside his bed holding his hand against her chest.

Esme's head jerked up at the sound of the door being opened, "Oh, Bella! You scared me, dear. Did you eat while you were gone?" She looked at me sternly. _Shit, I knew I forgot something…_

With my voice still MIA, I whispered, "Yes, I did, Esme." I smiled wearily, "You can quit worrying about me now." _Please don't ask me what I ate._

She tilted her head sideways and squinted her eyes, giving me a look telling me she didn't believe me, but she kept quiet.

"I called my mom," I blurted out without thinking.

She looked surprised, "You did? That's good, Bella…sometimes just speaking to your mother can help ease the pain." _She didn't know my mother…_

"She is coming to Seattle. She'll be here by seven this evening," I said languidly.

"Oh? She is coming here then? Well, that is very nice of her. It's great that she wants to support you." Esme smiled comfortingly.

I scoffed, "Yeah…"

She said nothing more; obviously realizing it was a sore subject. She then leaned forward to kiss Edward lightly on his cheek. She hovered over his face whispering briefly before raising and turning to me. "I'll be back tomorrow, sweetheart. I would love to meet your mother at that time. Would that be okay with you?"

I nodded wistfully. "I am sure she would like that." _Of course she__ would__…she__ was__ always eager for the opportunity to impress new people…_

* * *

I went back to my usual spot beside Edward and resumed the position that I had held for the past five days. The memories abounded once again. I just let them wash over me—there was no sense in trying to fight them, they would come regardless.

I remembered the night he first called me 'Bella' and the way it caused my heart to skip a beat. I remembered how amazing that night of love making was. My mind flashed to the night on the ferry…the night we professed our love to one another…the night I realized my heart was no longer my own…the night my life changed forever.

I reminisced about meeting his parents for the first time, about seeing his room for the first time, about being in his Jacuzzi for the first time, and about making love on a paddle boat for the first time.

I recalled his look of awe when I showed him my secret playhouse. He was amazed at my artwork, and my heart swelled with pride—not just because he loved my art, but also because I was finally comfortable with showing this part of my life to someone.

I started dozing off as my memories began going through the holidays—my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas…when I broke his heart. As I drifted further into sleep, I promised myself that I would do everything in my power to make it up to him.

* * *

A slight tapping woke me from the nightmare I was having. Edward was in a room completely encased in glass. He was crying frantically and pacing the floor. I could see him, but he couldn't see me. I banged on the glass and he couldn't hear me. I couldn't get his attention, and I couldn't get to him. I could only stand there and watch him fall apart and there was nothing I could do. It was pure torture.

I lifted my head the tiniest bit to see my mom walking through the door. _Bring on the waterworks._

She rushed over to the side of the bed where I was lying and wrapped her arms around me and whispered, "Oh baby! I am so, so sorry!"

I knew that my mom had come all this way and that I should be nice to her, but the words came out of my mouth before my brain filter could stop them, "Mom, you don't have to whisper, he's in a coma, not sleeping." I felt her body stiffen and I knew I was being harsh. I twisted around so that I could return the hug apologetically.

She held me for several minutes as we both cried. I wish I could say I was touched, but honestly I wasn't. My mom had always been this way. She was incredibly ostentatious, therefore she lived for drama. If someone was crying, my mom would jump right in and cry with them. However, she would then cry louder, harder, and with much more flair. All of the attention would then be directed towards her, just as she had intended. Often times the very one that needed comforting would turn and comfort her. _Not today, Mom. Not today._

Realizing she didn't have an audience, Mom finally calmed herself and pulled away. She continued to smooth down my hair and wipe my tears and began humming Santana's 'Bella' as she often did when I was little. _This_ was the mom I needed. No attention-seeking displays. No over-the-top performances. Just Mom.

She let me cry through three repetitions of 'Bella' until I had calmed down enough to tell her what had happened. She listened intently while I told her everything…and I do mean _everything_. I had been vague about my relationship with Edward up until this point. The less my mom knew the better—she had always been overbearing; constantly making sure I knew what she thought I should do about every situation in my life. I didn't need this from her regarding me and Edward. She was the epitome of failed relationships.

I started at the very beginning, repeating some of what she already knew. I told her how we met, how scared I was, how I tried to stay away but couldn't and how we 'reunited' when Emmett was released. I told her about the paintball experience—even the horror that is now known as TREBE or 'The Rosemett Eye Bleach Encounter'—and how Edward called me Bella for the first time.

"You mean he really had called you Isabella that whole time? Oh wow, that man is definitely swoon worthy," she giggled.

I then told her about going to Chicago to meet his parents.

"Meeting the parents? Bella, how could you keep this from me? That is huge for you! All this time I thought this was just someone you were dating…I never thought it was getting serious. Wow…" She looked crushed and I suddenly felt guilty for having kept her out of something so important in my life.

Looking at her hands in her lap, she mumbled, "So…I guess he met Charlie then?" _Shit! I never thought I would feel remorseful for taking Edward to Charlie's…_

I proceeded to tell her about Edward meeting Charlie and she actually ended up chuckling. "I can just see Charlie reacting like that." She chuckled louder, "Oh my gosh, poor Edward!"

Then she said something that really shocked me. "Did you take him to Casa de Bella?" Casa de Bella was a nickname my mother had for my playhouse on Charlie's property. She joked that it was a play on words because it literally meant house of pretty but she meant it as Bella's house.

I looked at her confused and asked, "Why would I take him to see some silly playhouse?"

She looked at me knowingly, "Come on, Bella…didn't you want him to see how beautiful it is?" She winked at me and grinned.

My mouth hit the floor. _Surely she didn't…holy shit!_

"Bella, honey, do you honestly think that your father—a _cop_—would let you have a whole building to yourself, as a _teenager_ no less, and not check up on you? I can't believe you still thought it was a secret!"

I continued on, telling her about all of the shenanigans of the holidays. She laughed at just the right times and smiled appropriately. When I told her about Sue and Dad she smile nostalgically and then said, "I'm so happy for him. Your father is a wonderful man. It's about time he found someone who could make him happy. It was never in the cards for us, but I never intended for him to be alone for the rest of his life. I hope they have a happy life together. He really deserves it."

When I came to Christmas, my voice started to crack. I told her about watching the movie with him and then his insistence of giving me my gifts. I described them each in full detail. When I came to the last gift I began crying convulsively.

Mom just stared at me wide-eyed, rubbing my knee gently.

"Mom…it's awful! He gave me a key to his house and asked me to move in. I was scared…no, petrified…and I didn't answer him. I broke his heart, Mom! I watched his heart shatter in his chest and I did nothing…"

She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me tightly to her chest. "You really do love him, don't you?" Mom smiled sympathetically. "I had no idea. My Bella—the one who swore off love and marriage—has found true love. Oh baby, I am so happy for you! I just know everything's going to work out. It has to."

"I hope you're right, Mom. I just can't live without him. I was so stupid to turn him down. I have to have the chance to tell him I'm sorry. I don't know what I'll do with myself if I have lost the opportunity to make things right." I was still weeping into her shoulder as she rubbed my back.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to make things right, honey, just have faith. Everything is going to be okay, you have to believe that." She smiled reassuringly.

* * *

Mom stayed with me until midnight when she left to get a room at the hotel nearby. Once I was alone again, my mind went right back to my memories. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't keep them from coming.

_I hate feeling like this  
I'm so tired of trying to fight this  
I'm asleep and all I dream of  
Is waking to you_

"Do you remember when we spent the night under the stars in your back yard? We talked about the constellations for a while and then you shocked me by telling me our Star Wars horoscopes. I laughed when you said your astrological sign was an Ewok and mine was C3P0. When I told you Ewoks were always my favorite, you did your own rendition of Ewokese and had me laughing so hard I was crying." I chuckled and kissed Edward's cheek. I whispered, "You always have a way of making me laugh."

_Tell me that you will listen  
You're touch is what I'm missing  
And the more I hide I realize I'm slowly losing you_

I started running my fingers through his hair and began again. "I remember when we went to the top of the Space Needle and looked out over the city. We ate dinner at the restaurant and after the sun had set, we watched the ferry ride that we had taken the night you first told me you loved me. We stayed up there for hours just kissing and watching the city below us."

_I don't wanna live, I dont wanna breathe  
'Les I feel you next to me_

I began tracing his features on his face—across his eyebrows, down the bridge of his nose, across his cheek on the right side, down his jaw, across his lips to his cheek on the other side. I followed this trail repeatedly as I spoke the next memory.

_I don't wanna sleep, I don't wanna dream  
'Cause my dreams don't comfort me_

My voice started to break, "Most of all, I remember all of the times we made love. Every single time meant something special to me. In all of my years I never dreamed I could feel like this. I never knew someone could completely fill my heart like you have. I never expected to fall in love. But you…you are the one. It has always been you. From the moment I met you, you have captured me…mind, body, and soul."

_Oh how I adore You  
Oh how I thirst for You  
Oh how I need You_

I was becoming drowsy, but I continued to spill my guts to the man who held my heart in his hand…even unconscious. "Edward…I am so very sorry. If I lived a thousands lifetimes I could never make up to you how I have hurt you, but I want to try. I need you to come back to me so I can try. I will move in with you. I will do anything you ask me to. I don't know what I was afraid of."

My words were slurring together as I began drifting off. "Please…please…don't die on me. I can't live without you."

Just as I lost consciousness and entered into a dream state, I heard and angel whisper, "And you won't have to."

**I am totally freaking amazed that my last update received 60 reviews! That is epic! Thank you everyone for showing me so much love! I really need it during these chapters. It's just as hard for me to watch Edward being hurt as it is you :( **

**As always, a review gets a teaser *grin***

**Thank you for reading!!!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello my dears! No, I did not drop off the face of the planet. I am so sorry this update took so long. I got really sick after my last update and once I was better all four of my kids got sick. It has been really crazy here :( Please forgive my delay!**

**Can I just say I am AMAAAAZED at the response for the last chapter? It received 90 reviews!!!!!!!!!! That blew me away! Thank you all so much for reviewing! I was laying in bed sick as a dog smiling so freaking big over the reviews I was getting!!**

**Thanks so much to my betas SBA and AS08! You guys are the wick to my banana nut bread candle that I have burning right now! mmmmm ;)**

**As usual, SM owns…I just confuse the crap out of them.**

**(Sorry it's a bit short, but it gets the job done, lol)**

EPOV

Everything around me was completely black. I couldn't even see my hand in front of my face. I could smell the familiar scents of burning wood, burning paper, burning clothing and even the horrid smell of burning metal. I could feel the scorching heat surrounding me from all sides and I had an excruciating headache. I could hear the crackling of the fire and I knew I had to be in the midst of it, but I couldn't understand why I was unable to _see_ anything. I tried to move…walk, crawl, or even roll over…but not one muscle in my body would react. _What the hell __was__ going on?_

I could hear banging in the distance…incessant banging. It was getting louder and louder. I heard my name being shouted. _That sounds like Emmett…_

Almost instantly the smells and sounds of the fire vanished and I could no longer feel the heat surrounding me. I swiftly opened my eyes, blinking repeatedly to gain focus. _Where in God's name __was__ I?_

I could still hear the pounding from the other room and Emmett was now shouting, "Dude! Edward! Man, if you don't get the fuck up, her dad is gonna shoot your ass!" _Huh? Whose dad is gonna shoot me?_

I slowly lifted my head and looked around at my surroundings. I didn't recognize a single thing. The bed that I was lying in was huge and was much softer than the queen-sized Sealy that I had at home. In no way was I complaining, but I really needed to know why in the hell I had no clue where I was…or better yet, why in the hell did I not remember how I got here?

Emmett was pounding harder and now screaming, "Edward, you fucker! I swear to Eros, if you don't open this door right now, I'm telling the front desk you are wanted for murder…and rape…and child abuse!!" _Front desk? __Was__ I in a hotel? What in the fuck __was__ going on?_

I jumped up from the bed, nearly falling on my ass from not realizing it was much higher than mine at home, and made my way to where the shouting was coming from. As I looked around I noticed that I was, in fact, in a hotel. _How did I get here…and why __was__ Bella not here with me?_

I opened the door to a red face, a shit-eating grin and a huge bear hug.

"Duuuuuuude! Today is the day! I can't believe it, man, you are a lucky mother fucker to have found someone to put up with your shit!" Emmett howled in laughter. _The day for what? Wait…did he say, 'put up with your shit'? What's that supposed to mean?_

I just looked at him with the oddest expression known to man and his smile then dropped a bit. "You better not have cold feet, man…her dad will rip you a new one, dude…remember what he told you?" _I don't remember shit…and what is this about __**cold feet**__?_

I rubbed my eyes and shook my head, trying to gain some form of consciousness because I couldn't make heads nor tails of what Emmett was saying. I was fairly certain I was hearing things incorrectly. I then moved out of the way so he could come through to my…

_OH. MY. GOD__._

I was standing in the middle of the most ostentatious hotel room I had ever seen in my entire life. Everything looked as if it belonged to the royal family or some shit. I mean every single thing was either shiny or frilly or just plain expensive looking. I was sure that if my mom had been here she would be able to recognize everything, down to the very minute detail, but I am proud to say I am 100 percent man and I had no fucking clue what all of this stuff was made out of or where it came from…but I could say it had to cost a pretty penny.

Emmett saw me with my jaw almost on the floor and he looked at me peculiarly. "Eddie…you look like you just saw a ghost. What's your malfunction?"

I shook my head again. I didn't have an inkling of what was going on, but I was afraid to say anything to Emmett. I needed to figure out what the fuck was happening. Actually, what I needed was to see Bella.

"Where's Bella?" I asked surreptitiously.

Emmett stopped dead in his tracks and jerked his head toward me. "Eddie, boy…are you alright? How much did you drink last night? Are you having hangover amnesia?" _Hangover amnesia? What the fuck?_

"Em, what in the hell are you talking about? Just spit it out. I am too exhausted to try to figure out your bamboozling," I huffed and closed the front door.

"Man, chillax," Emmett chuckled. "You must be suffering from sexual deprivation. You know that you can't see Bella yet, buddy, so don't try to get her whereabouts from me. My lips are locked tight and only Alice holds the key to that fucking lock." He walked over to the mini bar and grabbed a bottle of Absolut and something else that I couldn't quite see.

Why could I not see Bella? This shit was starting to mess with my brainpan. _Starting to? As if…_

Emmett flopped down into the nearby recliner with a huge thud and eyeballed me. "Well? What are you waiting for?" _Great…what the hell was I supposed to be doing now?_

I just stared at him with a 'Rainman' expression—opened mouth and all. He raised his hands as if to say, "What the fuck?"

I just hung my head and stared at my feet trying to figure out how I was going to explain to him that I was completely lost as to what in the hell was going on? I decided I was just going to have to wing it. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

Apparently this had been the right thing to say because Emmett responded, "Ya think? Dude, remind me not to let you come to _my_ bachelor party. I ain't dealing with this shit when my nerves are shot." He grabbed the remote and started flipping through channels on the plasma screen that was hanging on the wall in front of him. _Bachelor party? So last night must have been Jasper's…wait…they aren't getting married until__ next__ summer…what in the hell?_

I was just finishing up my shower and turning off the water when I heard my mom say, "Jasper is being released today. I don't know if anyone told you." I pulled the curtain back quickly, just enough to stick my head out to see if I had heard her correctly, and also to ask her why she was invading my personal space. The strange thing was that as I looked around I noticed she wasn't there. _Great…now I'm hearing people speak that aren't even there._

I dried off and threw on the first items of clothing I could find before I walked into the main room where Emmett was.

He glanced over at me and then did a quick double-take with his eyes popping out of his head. He shot up out of his seat, arms flailing wildly, and shouted, "Edward! Fuck! Come on, man! Alice is going to fucking kill me if you don't get your ass ready in time…are you _trying_ to cause trouble? I don't get you today, dude. Get your effing tux on and do something with that crazed hair you got going on there and let's get to the dang ballroom before Alice turns us both into women," he said while making a whacking gesture to his dick. At this gesture, Dick started whining and trembling while curling up into a ball.

Ok…so I now know I am supposed to be wearing a tux and heading down to the ballroom. Obviously Jasper and Alice are getting married…but why the hell could I not remember a single thing after...

_Christmas…_

_Holy shit…_

I could remember leaving the girls' house on Christmas night and heading to work with Emmett and Jasper. I remembered getting the call about the fire at the Seattle library. I vaguely remembered pulling up in front of the library…but then the memories abruptly ended. _Oh my God…what in the hell had happened to me?_

I then went into the bedroom and tried to figure out where I would have put my tux and shoes. Sure enough there was a closet over in the corner. Of course I found my tux inside, so I grabbed it and then went back to the bathroom, realizing I would need to shave if I was going to a wedding.

I grabbed the shaving cream, a razor and a hand towel, when I noticed the strange embroidery on the towel. _BW?_ I racked my brain for a hotel with the initials of BW, but then I decided I didn't need to know what it meant so I began to shave. As I put my razor down I spotted the unopened soap in the soap dish and I understood what BW stood for. _Holy fucking shit! Alice's parents must be rolling in dough to afford to put everyone up in the Beverly Wilshire._

* * *

I came out to see that Emmett was still in front of the TV with one leg hitched over the arm of the recliner and his elbow propped on his knee so that he didn't even have to move his arm to flip channels. _Lazy fucker…_

"So, how come you don't have to be dressed yet, dickwad?" I asked him as I was putting on my socks and shoes.

He just rolled his eyes at me and turned off the TV. "You really plan on whining through this whole thing, don't you? Just hurry up so you can be Alice's problem and not mine anymore." He stood up and tossed the tiny empty bottles of liquor into the trash bin.

I would have given anything to know what kind of Twilight Zone I had now taken residence in, but I decided it was best to just play along for now. I was sure I would eventually find out everything. _Right?_

And find out I did. We had barely stepped off of the elevator when the evil dwarf known as Typhoid Alice bombarded me. "No, no, no! This will _not_ do! Follow me, now!"

"Alice, why are you wearing purple and not white? I mean, I know you don't believe in that bogus tradition do you?" I followed her quickly. _Man, her legs may be short, but damn she walked fast…_

I was laughing but then abruptly stopped when she said, "What in the hell are you talking about? The Maid of Honor never wears white, you moron!" _Who in the hell is getting married if it isn't Alice?_

Alice had now pulled me into some sitting room where she had everything under the sun sitting on a small card table. It reminded me of that movie with Jennifer Lopez where she was a wedding planner and she had a little pouch for anything and everything that could—_and usually would_—go wrong. _Oh my God, why was a chick flick popping up in my brain right now?_

She started slopping some sort of goop into my hair and began trying to tame the beast. I knew it was an impossible mission, but I wasn't about to protest against the SheDevil.

After ten minutes of trying she growled, literally growled at me, and said, "It has a mind of its own! It's more like a pet than a head of hair. Do you have a name for it?" She was giggling, thank God. Then she released the words that nearly gave me a heart attack. "Oh well, she knew full well what your hair was like before she decided to marry you, so I guess she's okay with it." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, calling over her shoulder, "You better still look like that in 45 minutes or there will be hell to pay."

I started hyperventilating. I was getting married? How in the hell had this happened? Not that I'm complaining…I loved Bella with all of my heart and I knew that I had planned to marry her, but I only remembered offering her my house key and it freaking her out. Now, here I stood—well, now that I lost the use of my legs, I was sitting—getting ready to be married…and I didn't even remember proposing?

I buried my head in my hands that I had propped on my knees and tried desperately to calm myself down. How much had I missed? Did anyone know that I hadn't even been here this whole time? How in the _fuck_ was I going to explain this to…my bride? Thinking those words instantly made my breathing even out. My bride. Bella, the love of my life, had agreed to marry me. Nothing else mattered at that moment. My life would be complete from that moment forward. It didn't matter that I had no idea how we got there. It didn't matter that I had no idea how long it took for us to get there. And most of all, it didn't matter that I may never even find out these things. The most important thing to me was that I had my Bella forever…from this day forward…till death do us part.

A huge grin began to spread across my face. I felt warmth filling me from my head to my toes. _I__ was__ getting married! I __was__ fucking getting married!_

"Holy shit! I'm getting married!" I said a bit too loudly.

I heard my mom giggling and I turned around to see her, both of us wearing grins the size of Texas. "Did it really take this long for it to sink in, sweetie?"

"Mom!" I said as I made my way over to her. We hugged each other for a few minutes before she pulled away saying, "You'll wrinkle us both if you keep that up." She chuckled and smoothed down my collar and adjusted my tie. "My boy," her voice started to shake. "My handsome, handsome boy. I've waited so long for this day. I can't believe it's finally here. And Bella…you couldn't have found a more perfect mate. I am so proud of you, baby." I grabbed a tissue from the table beside us and handed it to her.

She dabbed her eyes for a couple of minutes until she was finally composed and then looked up at me and said, "Well, now…I should wait until the actual ceremony before I let the tears fall. I need to be presentable." She chuckled and pecked me on the cheek. "I better go hang out with Alice or I'll spend the next thirty minutes crying and end up looking disastrous." She winked and started walking away. As soon as she was out of my sight I heard her whisper, "Sometimes just speaking to your mother can help ease the pain." _What the…_

* * *

Over the next thirty minutes I was visited by my dad, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie, Sue—that was odd—and lastly Charlie…_gulp_. Charlie was very calm, yet shockingly terrifying. He reminded me of our conversation—the one where he told me that he would never let anyone hurt Bella again. He even said, "I've never killed a man, but that fact will not protect the next person who hurts my baby." He patted me on the shoulder and walked out. _Um, yeah…_

* * *

Alice came in completely spastic. "Ok, let's get this show on the road! The guys are all ready, come on, come on, come on!" _I believe one 'come on' would have sufficed…_

We made it to the hallway leading to the ballroom and she shoved me toward Emmett and told us to go inside and take our place at the altar. We walked inside and suddenly my nerves decided to set in. The place was huge and decorated in a way that I knew would knock Bella's socks off. It was absolutely gorgeous, and yes, I was secure enough in my manhood to say that about wedding decorations, thank you very much. The room was decorated in white with highlights of purple everywhere you looked. The flowers, the tablecloths, the bows on the backs of the chairs—everything showed hints of her favorite color.

The size of the room and the decorations weren't what set my nerves ablaze, however. It was the vast amount of people filling the seats. _Who__ were__ all of these people? Holy fucking shit…_

Emmett and I went to our appointed positions at the altar and we waited for Jasper and the rest of the groomsmen, who arrived a few short minutes later. As the groomsmen took their places beside me the music had changed to Santana's 'Bella' and I was captivated. That was the perfect song to prepare me for _my_ Bella.

Oddly, the song repeated as my mother was ushered to her seat, followed by Bella's mother. Then the bridesmaids began to come down the aisle. When Alice stepped across the threshold and the song began again I was starting to get worried. I knew Alice wouldn't have approved the use of the same song over and over again. _Well, this had been a very strange day already…_

Finally the music changed to the Wedding March and I held my breath in anticipation. I saw Charlie walking arm and arm with my Bella, who had always been beautiful, but had now transformed into the most splendiferous angel ever to walk the planet. She literally took my breath away. Dick started to hyperventilate.

I watched Bella glide down the aisle with the grace of a Greek goddess. I wanted nothing more than to run to her and wrap my arms around her, then carry her off to that magnificent bed I woke up in. Dick was already searching for the room's keycard.

As she passed her mom, I was almost positive I heard her say, "My Bella—the one who swore off love and marriage—has found true love. Oh baby, I am so happy for you!" However, Bella didn't react in the slightest. _Was__ I hearing things still?_

Bella took her place at my side and we both breathed a sigh of relief. I grinned down at her as she grinned up at me and we interlocked our fingers.

The minister began, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Edward Anthony Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men—"

He continued with the opening words, but I became distracted by Bella's thumb rubbing across the back of my knuckles. For some reason when she rubbed my knuckles my mind flashed back to the night we spent in my back yard looking up at the constellations. She pointed out so many of them that I had never known and I was mesmerized by how knowledgeable she was. To take the heat off of my ignorance, I decided to be humorous and told her about something I had read in my college years when I was hanging around the University's 'Geek Freaks' and we always talked about Star Wars. We would sit around and dissect Star Wars horoscopes and prove how right they were by comparing them to everyone we knew. I had it memorized, so I proceeded to tell her that she was C3PO and I was an Ewok. Then when I started speaking 'Ewokese' we both shared a good laugh.

I was brought out of my reverie by the minister saying, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

Charlie responded, "I do."

"The Maid of honor will now read a poem from Pam Ayres," the minister said with a grin.

Alice took the microphone and began,

"_He never leaves the seat up  
Or wet towels upon the floor  
The toothpaste has the lid on  
And he always shuts the door!_

_She's very clean and tidy  
Though she may sometimes delude  
Leave your things out at your peril  
In a second they'll have moved!_

_He's a very active person  
As are all his next of kin  
Where as she likes lazy days  
He'll still drag her to the gym!_

_He romances her and dines her  
Home cooked dinners and the like  
He even knows her favorite food  
And spoils her day and night!_

_She's thoughtful when he looks at her  
A smile upon his face  
Will he look that good in 50 years  
When his dentures aren't in place?!_

_He says he loves her figure  
And her mental prowess too  
But when gravity takes her over  
Will she charm with her IQ?_

_She says she loves his kindness  
And his patience is a must  
And of course she thinks he's handsome  
Which in her eyes is a plus!_

_They're both not wholly perfect  
But who are we to judge  
He can be pig headed  
Where as she won't even budge!_

_All that said and done  
They love the time they spent together  
And I hope as I'm sure you do  
That this fine day will last forever._

_He'll be more than just her husband  
He'll also be her friend  
And she'll be more than just his wife  
She's be his soul mate 'till the end."_

Everyone chuckled throughout the poem and applauded at the end. Alice daintily skipped back to her position with a smirk on her face. I rolled my eyes and shook my head with a grin in place as well.

The minister was still chuckling as he said, "Who could possibly follow that performance?" The guests filled the room with laughter again. "However, let's continue with the vows at this time, that's if these kids want to make this official."

Bella squeezed my hand tightly and I was overtaken by another memory of the two of us. This time we were at the top of the Space Needle looking out over the city. We had just eaten in the restaurant and we were looking over at the ferry where we had declared our love to each other for the first time. We kissed each other passionately for hours above the city that night.

The minister began again, "Repeat after me, 'I, Edward Anthony Cullen, take you, Isabella Marie Swan, to be my lawfully wedded wife.'"

I repeated the minister with a goofy ass grin plastered on my face.

"My constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward."

I recited those words and winked as I said, 'my love' and Bella giggled quietly.

"In the presence of God, our family and our friends, I offer you my solemn vow"

Again, I echoed the minister with a smile.

"To be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow."

As I repeated the words 'faithful partner', Dick grudgingly tore up his little black book with a tear in his eye.

"I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you,"

I declared those words with the utmost sincerity and tried to portray that in my gaze to Bella, my beautiful bride. _I couldn't say those words enough…_

"To laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

I couldn't help it, when I said, 'laugh with you' I did, in fact, laugh. That was something we did often and I would never grow tired of it. It was one of my favorite things about my relationship with Bella.

The minister repeated the same vows for Bella and she followed suit as I had, but at some point near the end, she said, "But you…you are the one. It has always been you. From the moment I met you, you have captured me…mind, body, and soul." I grinned crookedly at her because that was not part of what the minister had said and yet it held so much meaning between us.

It was finally time for the rings. I glanced at Bella and she had tears in her eyes. I cocked an eyebrow at her silently asking her if she was okay and she just smiled.

I took the ring and placed it on Bella's finger saying, "Isabella, with this ring I thee wed. Take it and wear it as a symbol of all we shall share."

She took her ring and said, "Edward, with this ring I thee wed. Take it and wear it as a symbol of all we shall share. I will move in with you. I will do anything you ask me to." _What the hell? I should hope __that __my wife would move in with me…What an odd thing to say…_

The minister then said, "By the power vested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

I kissed her passionately until Emmett cleared his throat and cough whispered, "Get a room," to which the room erupted with laughter.

Bella pulled away from me but her face looked tormented. My heart dropped to the floor as I feared she was worried that she had just made a mistake. She then whispered, "Please…please…don't die on me. I can't live without you."

Suddenly Bella started to fade away as did everything around me. The guests, the minister, the decorations, everything. I blinked my eyes and became conscious of my surroundings. I was now lying on a bed and Bella was curled up at my side. I could hear machines beeping beside my head and I felt a tube across my face placed right in front of my nostrils. _A hospital bed?_

Then it hit me that Bella had just spoken, and I realized that she must have thought I was going to die. Things were still fuzzy in my head, but I spoke up as best I could to reassure her, "And you won't have to." _I __could__ never live without you either, my Bella._

**So there you have it! HE'S AWAKE! It was so funny last chapter to read everyone's thoughts. Many of you "knew" he was awake and didn't doubt whatsoever. Many of you begged me not to let it be a dream (as if!! Lol). Many of you asked me if the angel was Edward.**

**So, I have a confession to make. Believe it or not, I am having a hard time with the next chapter, lol. I am halfway through, but I feel like it is all over the place. Please be patient with me ;) At least we know Edward is okay, so you can rest at ease. I promise to work my hardest to get it out asap, but it may take a bit longer than past updates, so bear with me pretty please!**

**What did you think of Edward's 'dream' in his coma? Wasn't it so freaking sweet? I had this planned for so long and I couldn't wait to get it out to you guys! And Dick even made a bit of an appearance. God, I missed him!**

**Also, I have a bit of a Christmas present planned for everyone who reads, so make sure you keep an eye on my Outtakes or put me on author alert so you don't miss it. Trust me…you *don't* want to miss this!!! *wicked grin***


	22. Chapter 22

**Special thanks to Corinne 22 for her many late nights of letting me bounce ideas and idiotic sentences off of her cranium! Thank you bb!! MWAH!**

**Before we get started, I want to warn you that this is fanFICTION.**

**Webster states that fiction is An imaginative creation or a pretense that ****does not represent actuality.**

**So, don't try this at home (bahahaha). That being said, there are actually truths to some of the actions in this chapter, and if you don't believe me, I will post the evidence at the bottom *grin***

**As usual thanks to my betas SBA and AS08…you are the jelly in my donut, the custard in my éclair! Everyone send love to AS08 because she is coming up on finals and trying to write her last chapter, too, she needs lots of encouragement.**

**SM owns, I just bring them back from the dead…er…coma ;)**

DPOV

Hey there, Dick here. I have to say that I am a bit heartbroken. I bared myself…well, at least my soul (sorry, I can only bare myself for Bella now that Edward has gone all _monogamous_ *gag*)…to Mamma this week and told my embarrassing life story to share with you guys and hardly anyone hopped over to read it. It's pretty fucking funny if you ask me. I know that if it had happened to anyone besides myself, I would have laughed my ass off.

So, anyway, come on, please, make Mamma's day and go over and read her outtakes of this story—especially my autobiography aka 'An Upstanding Guy' and leave her some love, it makes her want to write more…and who knows, we might have another sit down from my perspective ;)

Peace, out!

BPOV

I was lying in the middle of the most magnificent meadow that I had ever laid eyes on. I know it sounds like a cheesy 'Little House on the Prairie' book, but there were rolling hills covered with purple flowers as far as the eye could see. There wasn't a single tree in sight, and in the pale blue sky above, there wasn't even a cloud. The sun was shining brightly, the heat from its rays warming my skin everywhere it touched. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to bask in the beauty that surrounded me. I was thoroughly relaxed and completely at peace when all of a sudden I could feel the ground beneath me start to move. _What in the world?_

A soft breeze began to move my hair from my face. It was the strangest thing…I couldn't actually feel the breeze, but I could feel the evidence of it on my scalp. The ground then shifted again, and it felt almost as if it was embracing me.

_"Isabellaaaaaa"_ sounded in the wind as it swept through my hair again. The sound was angelic, and mesmerizing, and…familiar? I couldn't hold back the smile that overtook my face.

I heard, _"Isabella, sweetheart"_ and felt the wind move my hair yet again. I tried to twist my body to lie in a different position, but I was unable to move—the 'ground' had tightened its hold on me. I started to panic. I tried to wiggle free from its grasp, this time with a bit more force.

_"Careful sweetheart, you're gonna fall"_ I heard in a whisper, along with a quiet laugh. I desperately tried to push myself free, and then I realized that I wasn't grasping earth, I had a handful of blanket and…_flesh? _

Suddenly conscious of my surroundings, I jerked up quickly and looked directly into the sparkling eyes of the man who had captured my heart. I gasped and tried to lift myself out of the bed, now fully in freak-out mode. He held on to me tightly. _Shouldn't he be really weak right now?_

Chuckling, "Oh no, you're not going anywhere, baby. I've got a hold on you and I am never letting go." he said.

I couldn't stop the tears from pouring, and I really didn't care at this point. _Was this real? Was I dreaming? __I knew I should call the nurses immediately, but I just needed a few minutes alone with him first._

"Baby, don't cry, I'm here. Everything's gonna be okay." Edward started to wipe the tears from my cheeks with the sweetest smile on his face. _That smile…God, that smile will be my undoing._

"Are you…am I dreaming? Edward? Please tell me this is real! Please tell me it's not a dream! Please, for the love of God, if it's a dream let me never wake up again!" I grabbed him with both hands and looked deep into his eyes. His beautiful smile doubled in size and he squeezed me gently, pulling me closer.

"This is real. I promise you it's all real. You're not dreaming…although maybe _I'm_ dreaming because you're more beautiful than anything that I could ever dream of."

I began placing kisses over every inch of his face, crying the whole time. Tears were running down my cheeks and onto his while he was laughing incessantly. I mumbled, "I love yous" in between each kiss and once I had smothered his face completely, not missing a single speck of skin, he grabbed my shoulders and held me at arms length, grinning from ear to ear.

"Okay, okay, calm down. I have no idea what is going on. I hate to interrupt the kissing shower because I absolutely love your lips on me, but I need to know why you asked me not to die, baby? Why am I in a hospital?"

I inhaled sharply and covered my mouth with one hand. He didn't remember. _Oh my God…_

"You…you don't remember how you got here?" I whimpered and my hands started trembling. _What else has he forgotten?_

"I have bits and pieces of memories. I remember leaving your place with Jazz and Em and then heading to the station. I remember getting a call that we needed to head to the library on 5th. I vaguely remember being in the library, but then it gets pretty fuzzy. I don't remember getting out of the building and I surely don't…wait…Oh my God, how are my guys?" He sat up instantly, his eyes as big as saucers.

I grabbed his shoulders and tried to get him to lie back down. "Edward, it's okay. They're all fine. I promise. Lie down and I'll tell you anything you want to know."

A gust of air left his lungs and he fell back onto the pillows. "Okay, I'm listening. Tell me everything. And Isabella? Don't sugarcoat it." He pointed his finger at me and gave me a stern look. "I'm warning you."

I sat up and nodded. _No sugarcoating…right…_ I began from the moment I received the call from Angela. He squeezed my thigh when I told him how Rose and Alice had to break me free from my tortuous screaming fit.

When I told him how Alice helped me slip on a pair of sweat pants he stopped me, "Wait a minute…Did you just say you were wearing boy shorts? Were they the blue ones? Damn, I love the blue ones!"

I slapped his chest very lightly, shook my head and giggled. "Edward! Be serious. God, you are insatiable!"

He laughed and pulled my hand to his mouth, kissing my knuckles one by one, "Well, what do you expect? _You_ put these sexy images in my head; it's not my fault when my mind wanders." He grinned that cocky, panty-dropping, crooked grin.

"Do you want to know what happened or do you just want to sit there with your sexual fantasies?" I playfully stuck out my tongue at him.

He rubbed my thigh and as he inched his fingers higher he smirked saying, "Well, I would _rather_ not have to _imagine_ those images…and by the way, I'll tell you what you can do with that tongue while it's sticking out…"

I stopped his fingers just before they reached my hoohah and gave him the stink eye. He popped his lip out in the most adorable pout. "Edward. I am not undressing in a damn hospital room, so just stuff that sexy lip back in your mouth. I guess it's safe to say that Dick has recovered nicely from his coma, huh?" I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

Edward grabbed my hand and faster than I could say 'woody' he placed it on his bulging crotch and raised an eyebrow, "What do _you_ think?" Then his eyes nearly popped out of his head and the cocky grin disappeared. "Wait…coma? What the hell?" He suddenly looked terrified.

"Yes, well, I was trying to get to that point when you started thinking with the wrong head and got off the subject."

He released my hand that had been unconsciously stroking his hard-on and swallowed loudly, "Ok, I'm sorry. No more distractions, I promise." He whispered the last two words, "Tell me."

I then told him everything. When I told him that someone had opened the door and caused the backdraft, he buried his face in his hands and whimpered. I grabbed his wrists and tried to pry his hands away from his face. "Edward? What is it, baby?"

He wouldn't remove his hands. He just kept sobbing and shaking his head furiously. It was breaking my heart in two. I rubbed his arms gently and whispered, "Edward, please tell me."

He muttered into his hands, "I'm a fucking idiot. Fire Chief my ass. I should have checked. The dumbest mistake. I could have killed my whole crew. So stupid. So fucking stupid."

He wasn't making sense, but I had a feeling from his ramblings that he must have been the one who opened the door. I knew that it was a common mistake in the midst of an emergency search and rescue procedure and that no one would hold it against him, but I wasn't quite sure how to make him see that.

I laid back down beside him, propping my head up with one hand, while wrapping my other arm across his chest and lightly drawing circles on his side. I gave him a few minutes of silence and then with as much compassion as I could possibly convey, I softly said, "Edward…honey, you opened the door, didn't you?"

He didn't say anything, he just kept his face buried in his hands, shoulders shaking with each breath as he whimpered and mumbled, "I knew better…I fucking knew…"

I scooted up the bed so that my head was higher than his and I cradled his head against my chest and then began running my fingers through his hair. "Baby, you can't take the blame for this. It happens, I'm sure you know this. You were worried about someone being in that room, weren't you? You were just trying to save someone's life. I know you, baby, and you would never endanger anyone. No one holds it against you. Your men are so worried about you. They check on you all of the time. They love you, Edward."

He removed his hands from his tear-stained face and shook his head, "No, no…I am trained to look for the signs. The guys even saw it. They shouted at me when I opened the door, but it was too late, I had already turned the knob. It was stupidity. Pure stupidity, plain and simple."

I began wiping the tears from his face just as he had mine merely minutes before. "No, Edward…it wasn't stupidity. The guys only saw it because they were standing back and not seeing it first-hand like you were. Edward, you were only thinking with your heart and there is nothing wrong with that. You can't beat yourself up over it. Everyone survived anyway, so no harm no foul."

He scoffed at me, "Isabella, have you lost your mind?" His tone was clipped and it took me by surprise. "Yeah, everyone survived, but what if they hadn't? I am the fucking Fire Chief. Do you think I would be able to live with myself if someone had died from my neglect, do you?" He growled and dug the heels of his hands into his eyes. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to take it out on you. I just…I can't believe I…" He sighed and nestled his head back into my chest, "I made Chief because I was incredible at my job…and now I've failed everyone who ever believed in me. How can I continue as Chief and retain any amount of integrity? It was a rookie mistake. A stupid fucking rookie mistake."

"Edward…I've been associated with the medical field for many, many years—even before I began my training. I can assure you that even the most skilled firefighters have made this mistake—many of them losing their lives in the process. I won't let you bear this burden, Edward. You have to let it go. Yes, it could have been worse, but it wasn't. And even if it was, it is not your fault. Tell me…why did you open the door? What was going through your mind?"

Edward blew a long slow breath out through pursed lips, "I thought I heard someone behind the door. We had halted the search and rescue because it had become too dangerous and the building was unstable. We were heading back to the entrance and I could have sworn I heard someone in that room as we passed it. I…"

I interrupted him, "You thought nothing of your own safety and tried to help whoever was behind that door because you couldn't leave a person behind and keep a clean conscience. You were a hero, Edward. You were willing to risk your own life to save the person behind that door."

He jerked his head up, "There was no one there, Isabella! There are signs we are trained to look for around a door before we open it. I know this. My crew knows this—which is why they screamed for me to stop as I opened the door. I risked each and every one of my men for a nonexistent person. It's uncalled for."

"Edward, stop it! Right now!" I grabbed his face in my hands and kissed the tip of his nose. "I will not sit here and watch the man I love—the man I have laid by for five days while praying for a miracle from a God who owes me absolutely nothing—carry this unnecessary weight on his shoulders." I opened my mouth to continue but Edward held up his hand to stop me.

"Five days? I was unconscious for five days? You laid by me for five days? Did you ever leave? Isabella…please tell me you didn't neglect yourself during that time. Please tell me you took care of yourself, baby." He looked at me sternly and I had to avert my eyes. I couldn't lie to him when he looked at me like that…it was almost as if he was staring into my soul.

I cleared my throat, "Of course I took care of myself, Edward, don't be silly." I scoffed playfully, still not looking him in the eye.

"Bullshit. Look into my eyes and tell me you weren't lax about caring for yourself."

I sighed deeply and tried to focus my gaze on him, but when I shifted and cleared my throat Edward started shaking his head slowly. "Yet another person hurt by my indiscretion. Well, it doesn't matter now. I'm here and I will take care of you." He reached up and tapped the tip of my nose and winked. "So…you said the rest of the guys are fine now, right? How bad was it?"

I then proceeded to tell him the extent of the injuries the guys sustained. When I came to Jasper he winced and squeezed his eyes shut until I told him how well Rose did with his surgery.

"Well, I definitely owe her one. She's really that good then, huh?" Edward had begun to twirl my hair around his finger unintentionally.

"Yeah, she really is very gifted. However, I am not sure she could have done so well had it not been for Emmett having minor injuries. That enabled her to focus completely on Jasper.

Once I told him how everyone had recovered and since gone home, I could tell he was relieved, but he was still very upset that they had to be taken to the hospital in the first place…and he was taking full responsibility.

"Oh, man! I hadn't even thought about your throat, baby! Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?" I had already begun to pour Edward a glass of ice water from the container they kept by his bed for me.

He was gulping it down and I decided it was a good time to pour out my heart to him. "Edward, you don't even know how ecstatic I am that you're awake now. I was so scared. I thought I had lost you." I grabbed his empty hand and began tracing the lines on his palm when I said, "I need to say something. I need to tell you how sor—"

He lifted our hands quickly and covered my lips, "Ah ah, Isabella. No apologies. Love means never having to say you're sorry. Besides…there is nothing to apologize for. You have your reasons and I can respect that. I told you I would wait forever, and I meant it. I really will."

He reached up to kiss me, but stopped suddenly and pulled back. His eyes were nearly popping out of his head and he started panting. He sat his cup of water on the table beside him and ran his hand down his face.

I was scared that something was wrong and I reached for the button to call the nurse when he grabbed my hand with his trembling hand and shook his head slightly. He licked his lips and swallowed arduously.

"What is it Edward? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, baby. Nothing at all…but I just remembered something." He started looking around the room frantically. His gaze landed on the table to his left and then his eyes lit up with a grin spread across his face. He dislodged himself from my iron clasp and twisted his body to reach past his cup of water on the table. He grabbed the roll of Micropore paper tape that we use to hold IV's in place and such.

Edward turned his body so that he was facing me and he pulled me up by my shoulders and placed me right in front of him. He held both of my hands in his and took a deep breath. "Isabella, when I was in the…" he gulped and squeezed his eyes shut briefly, "coma…something happened." He opened his eyes and had a look of determination just before he smiled brilliantly. "I had a dream…the most amazing dream I have ever had in my entire life. But…I don't want it to be just a dream…Bella, my beautiful, beautiful Bella. I love you so much. More than I ever thought I could love another human being." He started to unwrap the tape as he spoke the next words, "I can't stand the thought of having to live another minute without you."

He grabbed my left hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. "Isabella Marie Swan…" Edward was then taking the tape and forming a tiny circle and taping the ends together. He then lifted my left hand once again, holding onto my ring finger…_oh shit! My ring finger! _ My heart was now beating so hard it was threatening to escape my chest.

"E. E. Cummings said it best:

_I carry your heart with me_

_(I carry it in my heart)_

_I am never without it_

_(Anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done  
by only me is your doing, my darling)  
I fear no fate_

_(For you are my fate, my sweet) _

_I want no world_

_(For beautiful you are my world, my true)  
And it's you are whatever a moon has always meant  
and whatever a sun will always sing is you_

_Here is the deepest secret nobody knows  
(Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud  
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows  
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)  
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart_

_I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)_

"I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He held the makeshift ring at the tip of my finger waiting for my response. He looked terribly apprehensive and for the briefest moment I contemplated teasing him, but his words had been the sweetest words ever spoken to me that I couldn't bring myself to do it.

I lowered my eyes to my lap. I needed to say this without crying and I couldn't do that if I was looking him in the eye. "Edward…in the last five days I have realized how fragile life can be. How quickly someone can be taken from you. I made a vow to myself…and to you as well—even though you were unconscious—that I will not doubt our relationship ever again. I will live life in the moment and take chances and have no regrets." My voice was breaking, but I continued, "So, yes, Edward…I would be honored to spend forever with you as your wife." Before I even finished that sentence, tears were yet again streaming down my face.

I raised my head to look into his eyes and was shocked to see they were filled with tears as well. He pulled me closer and brushed his lips against mine. I couldn't help but moan. I had missed those lips so desperately.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him harder. He groaned and I thought I had hurt him, but he pulled my body closer and continued to kiss me. I parted my lips, allowing him access, and he snaked his tongue in gently. That was all it took. I needed more. I had missed him and lived with the fear of possibly losing him, so now I just wanted to consume him…breathe him…taste him. I pushed him back onto his pillows and twisted my body so I was on my knees and Edward lifted my leg to straddle him.

I lowered myself and came in contact with another part of him that I had severely missed. He hissed and I started to lift myself back up, but he shook his head and mumbled negatively against my lips. He squeezed my hips, holding me in place, and deepened the kiss even more, occasionally pulling back to bite my lip and growl. _Ah yes, Growlward, how I have missed thee!_ He lifted his hips ever so slightly, brushing his erection against me right where I needed it. We both moaned at the contact and started breathing harder.

It wasn't long until we had found a perfect rhythm, never grinding too hard, however. We continued at this pace for just a few minutes when we simultaneously began increasing it, becoming breathless. I pulled my head back just enough to take a breath and Edward lowered his kisses down to my neck. He continued to grind his hips as he slipped his hands up under my shirt. He trailed his fingers up to my bra and slid it up to release my breasts. I panted against his shoulder as he began pinching my nipples between his fingers.

"Edward…should you really….ugh….oh God! That feels so good!" I tried to stop him—I wasn't sure if it was okay for him to be getting all…er…worked up just coming out of a coma—however, he started sucking on my neck just below my ear (something he knew always rendered me speechless) and I forgot what I was trying to say.

"God, Bella, you feel so good against my cock. Grind that sweet pussy against me, baby." He sucked my earlobe into his mouth and bit it lightly. _Damn! Dirty talking Edward and the earlobe sucking…I'm __so__ done for!_

I jerked my hips forward and we both grunted at the sensation. I had both of my hands in Edward's hair and I yanked a handful just as I bit down on his shoulder.

"Fu-uck, Bella. Shit! God, I'm gonna—ungh" Edward grabbed my ass with both hands and thrust into me once more before he stiffened and growled into my neck, "Fuck, Bella, oh God, shiiiiiiit!"

I bit down on his shoulder again as I reached my orgasm right along with him.

Once he caught his breath, he kissed my neck sweetly, humming and smiling against it. "God, baby…you've made me revert back to behaving like a teenager. I can't believe we just did that, but _fuck_ that was so hot," he said laughing.

I situated myself back against Edward's side and nuzzled my face into his chest. "I should call the nurse," I began.

He shook his head, "Hell no! You have to help me…um…get rid of the evidence of what we just did before we call a damn nurse!" He looked mortified, but he was laughing.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, we managed to get him cleaned up and then called the nurse. We were peppering kisses all over each other while waiting. Edward held my face and looked at me intently. "Bella, I truly love you with all of my heart. You've made me the happiest man alive today by agreeing to be my wife. I can't wait to start our life together and then to grow old together. I'm going to spend the rest of my days proving my love to you. You are my life now."

He pulled me closer and gave me an incredibly passionate kiss, but we were interrupted by the nurse who had just walked in. I pulled back and felt the blush creep up my face.

The nurse was smiling a goofy ass grin that would give Emmett a run for his money. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt." She giggled, "I won't take long, I promise."

And she really didn't. She was rather quick with his assessment. She had also brought him some Sprite and crackers to snack on until he was feeling well enough to eat a more sustaining food.

As she was heading out the door Edward cleared his throat. "Um…I think you are forgetting something?" He was gesturing toward his lap and my eyes widened…as did the nurse's.

"Um…what am I forgetting?" she asked nervously.

Edward started cackling, "My catheter! What is with you two?"

The nurse breathed a sigh of relief and asked him if he was sure he wanted it out because he may be too weak to make it to the bathroom. He assured her that he would have no problems, so she then removed it. _If she had only known how un-weak this man just behaved…_ After she covered him back up I saw a smirk playing on his lips and I briefly wondered what was going on in that perverted mind of his.

We thanked her and she walked out of the room. I glanced over at Edward and the smirk was in full swing now. "What?" I looked at him quizzically.

He lifted up the gown and showed me Dick…already at half mast…and he wiggled his eyebrows. "No interference now. Why don't you come over and let me re-introduce you properly?" I bit my lip to avoid smiling at his goofy antics and I stayed firmly planted in my chair. Ok, I shouldn't say firmly planted, because it took every fiber of my being not to strip down and slide right down on that beautiful piece of manmeat. He started curling his finger in a 'come here' motion with his smirk getting predominantly bigger. I shook my head twice. He growled and curled his finger three times. I shook my head three times, now biting the inside of my cheek as well to keep from smiling.

The next thing I knew Edward had jumped up from the bed and was dashing toward me. How in_ the fuck could me move like that having only been awake for a few hours?_ He grabbed me by the wrists and yanked me up from my chair. He twirled me around so that my back was to his chest and he bent down to whisper in my ear, "I happen to know that you like it when I go caveman on you, so don't try to act coy with me, Isabella." My knees went weak, but Edward was already holding onto my waist and thrust me into his dick, that was now at full mast. I threw my head back and made some strange gurgling sound.

Edward slid one hand around to the front of my waist and had already begun to slip it beneath the waistband of my pants. _Lucky for him…or me…or both of us?...I was wearing easy access yoga pants. _Two seconds later his fingers were twirling around my clit causing the most erotic sensations. "Guh!" was the most articulate thing that would come out of my mouth.

Edward leaned his head down and began sucking on my neck as he inched his fingers closer to my entrance. He kept his thumb on my clit and snaked two fingers inside of me. I arched my back, shoving my ass into his cock and he groaned against my neck. "Damn Isabella, I love your ass against my cock, baby." He grabbed my waist with the hand that wasn't still two fingers deep inside of me and he shoved me against him again, both of us moaning at the contact.

I was so close already. I decided to mess with Edward a little, so I reached up with both of my hands and cupped my breasts, saying, "Oh fuck yeah! Yes, Edward, just like that baby! Fuck!" I was barely making noise, so as not to alert anyone outside the door, but I made sure to sound as sexy as humanly possible.

Edward dropped his head on my shoulder, still thrusting his dick into my ass and fingering me. "Damn it, Isabella! Fuck! I wanted to…shit!...I wanted to be in your…fuck…shit…I'm not gonna…ung!" He stiffened his body against me, but continued his movement with his thumb and fingers bringing me over the edge right after him. "Son of a bitch!" He huffed as I started giggling.

He pulled his fingers out of me and flipped me around harshly. I could see the twinkle in his eyes as he tried to sound angry, "It's not funny, Isabella! I wanted to fuck you with my dick, not my fingers. How can you laugh at a guy who just came out of a coma?" He couldn't hold back his smile, so he kissed me to try to hide it, but it was too late, I already saw it. I jerked my head back and eyed him just as his face betrayed him with a giant grin.

He grabbed my hips and pulled me to him roughly. With a primal look in his eyes, he raised his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean, moaning intensely. Then he leaned forward and kissed me, slipping his tongue between my lips impelling me to taste myself on him. I never quite understood what he loved about that, but I would comply nonetheless. _Anything to please my man._

We kissed for a few more minutes and when I realized it was quickly going to get quite heated _again_, I pulled back. "As much as I love you and _him_…" I grinned, grabbing a handful of Dick, knowing that he would be ready and waiting—which of course he was—before I continued, "I think it would only be appropriate if we shared the news with your parents who, might I add, have been on pins and needles as well."

Edward pushed himself a bit further into my hand, grinning wickedly, "Are you sure you want to invite the entourage? I never thought you were voyeuristic Isabella." He winked at me and then playfully said, "I'm not sure how I feel about having my mother as a spectator to our sport."

I sneered at him, "For heaven's sake, Edward, that's disgusting! I would expect something like that from Emmett…sheesh." I laughed and then pushed him toward the bed. "Get back under the covers and hide…_him_!" I said gesturing to his secondary brain. Shaking my head as I grabbed my cell phone I mumbled, "Damn hospital gown gives you guys too much freedom."

In the midst of dialing Esme's number I glanced at Edward and started laughing hysterically. He was lying on his back with his arms crossed behind his head, looking every bit relaxed, except for one muscle that was at full force _erecting_ a circus-sized tent in his lap. Edward just shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes with a slight smile playing on his lips.

I finished dialing Esme's number after I had resumed breathing normally. I placed it on speaker just before she answered on the second ring. "Bella? Has something happened? Are you okay? Is Edward okay?" I nodded my head to Edward for him to speak and he shook his and mouthed, "Not yet."

I smiled knowingly and said, "No, Esme, nothing is wrong. In fact, I have some good news."

"Hey Mom!" Edward said cheerfully.

We heard a loud crashing sound coming from the other end of the phone just before Esme gasped and shouted, "Carlisle! Carlisle! Get your ass down here!" You could hear the sobbing in her voice. There was a rustling sound and then Esme was speaking into the phone again, "Edward? Oh my baby! Is it really you?" Esme's voice was breaking with the evidence of her weeping.

When Edward said, "Yeah Mom, it's me," sarcastically, but with a chuckle, I couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

Carlisle came rushing into the room asking Esme what was wrong. She was a blubbering mess, so he took the phone and asked what was going on.

"I hope you've been brushing up on your chess 'cause I plan to take you down old man." Edward said smoothly.

I heard Carlisle quickly release a breath of air, and respond calmly, "Edward, son! It's good to hear your voice," but even he couldn't hide the emotion in his voice.

Edward and Carlisle exchanged lighthearted banter back and forth for a few minutes, until Esme announced that they were coming to the hospital. Edward asked his father to put his mother on the phone.

"Mom, could you please bring Gran's heirloom when you come?" Edward puckered out his lips in a goofy smirk.

Esme drew in a shocked breath and nearly shouted, "Oh my God, Edward! Really? Oh baby!"

I looked at Edward quizzically and he just simply blew me a kiss. "Yes, Mom. Really, really."

Esme squealed and said they would be here shortly then disconnected the call.

Edward was now smiling seductively, "Well, we have approximately twenty minutes to kill, do you have any ideas?"

I didn't have to shift my eyes to see the hospital gown beginning to levitate once more.

I pointed a finger at Edward, "Oh no! Deflate that bad boy, right now! I am not getting busted by your parents again. You can forget that you nymphomaniac!"

Edward laughed loudly and simply said, "But baby, he's missed you! It's been five whole days! Five excruciatingly long days. Are you gonna mistreat the destitute?"

"Destitute my ass! You were unconscious you nincompoop!" I blew raspberries at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

He huffed and simply said, "Fine, but let me assure you…_this_," he pointed to his groin, "is a permanent fixture until you do something about it." He looked at me smugly.

When I responded with, "Yeah, what else is new?" his smug look quickly fell from his face.

I just grinned and blew him a kiss.

**Before you go all nutso on me and say dry humping with a catheter in isn't possible…let me tell you, I thoroughly researched this and not only is *dry humping* possible, but full-out intercourse is as well!! (don't believe me? H t t p : / /urostream(dot)blogspot(dot)com/2007/02/weird-question-of-week(dot)html) It's amazing what a man will go through just to get his rocks off, huh?**

**So…who is grabbing their cooch protectively right now and cringing? **

***raises hand***

**A thousand ogre kisses to whoever caught the Shrek quote I popped in there ;)**

**So, I will greatly love some reviews, but I don't quite have a teaser yet, so I won't respond to your reviews until I have it—hopefully w/in the next couple of days…just don't think I am ignoring you!**

**Next chappie will be EPOV! What was he thinking when he ***PROPOSED!!!***????? Can you believe he proposed? Forget moving in, he jumped to the goods! Did you like it? Was this proposal romantic enough for you? Sorry, if it wasn't, I don't have much to go on in that department!! LOL! *grumbles: Dang romantically challenged husband***

**Love to you all!!!**


	23. Chapter 23

**I am so very sorry for the delay in updates. This has been one hectic holiday season. And I have to admit I was a bit worried about writing this chapter because of the lack of reviews for the last chapter. I feel like people didn't like the way the last chapter went. So, yeah, I was a whiny baby for a few days and couldn't bring myself to write anymore, lol. Then my betas told me to suck it up because I am not supposed to change my story to please the readers, I am supposed to continue with what I had planned to write.**

**So, if you do still enjoy the story, please review and make me feel better *grin***

**As usual, thanks goes to my betas AS08 and SBA, you guys are the shrimp on my barbie! *giggle snort***

**SM owns, I just make them horny!**

**Ok, so we have another chapter and an epi after this, so I tried to give you as much Dick as possible in this chapter, since he may not appear anymore *can I have a moment of silence please?* I hope this chapter does not disappoint ;)**

EPOV

"_Please…please…don't die on me. I can't live without you."_

Was that really what she had whispered right before falling asleep? It pained me to hear the desperation in her voice. She sounded so…broken…helpless. I took a few moments to get my bearings. I pulled the breathing tube from my face and the little doohickey from my finger that checks your pulse or something—glancing at the machinery around me making sure I hadn't set off some alarm alerting the nurses that my heartbeat had ceased.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I then glanced down at my beautiful Bella curled up peacefully at my side, all of the pain and despair gone from her face in that moment. I hated to disturb her when she was so content, but I needed to know what was going on and what had her so worried.

I swept her hair from her face and gave her a gentle hug. I still couldn't believe how much my life had changed since she had come into it. This tiny little woman beside me held my life in her hands and didn't even know it. I would do anything to make her happy.

In that moment, the need to kiss her was overpowering the need to let her rest, so I whispered her name while continuing to run my fingers through her hair. Her face lit up with the sweetest smile.

I whispered her name again and this time she tried to turn her body. The shifting of her hips caused Dick to stir in his slumber. _Fucker was such a light sleeper…_

I was sure she would fall off of the tiny bed we were sharing if she moved too much, therefore I held her tighter. She started wiggling frantically and it made me laugh. I whispered to her to be careful and she tried again to push away from me.

Suddenly she jerked up and looked me straight in the eyes. _I smiled as I stared into the eyes of the woman who owned me—heart, body and soul. _She gasped and tried to lift herself out of the bed but I held her tighter and told her I wasn't ever letting her go.

Tears instantly began falling from her eyes. _Maybe that was a bit too possessive…_

She thought she was dreaming. She wanted to never be woken again if she was. _What the hell had happened? _

After I assured her I was real—this was real—and she wasn't dreaming, she began littering my face with kisses while mumbling 'I love yous' in between each one.

I reluctantly stopped her and told her I needed to know what had happened, why she was so distressed. For some reason, this question worried her and she asked me what I remembered.

I tried to recall the last thing I could remember. Slowly, memories began to filter through the haze until the events that led up to my final memory of the night at the library. When I couldn't remember how we made it out of the building I immediately thought of my crew. I shot up in the bed, insanely worried at this point.

Bella reassured me that they were all fine, so I asked her to tell me everything.

She began the story with the call from Angela. It broke my heart when she explained how she had been in some sort of hysteric trance and that it took Rose and Alice to break her free.

She continued with the story and at the mere mention of her in her blue boy shorts Dick became fully awake and began to rub the sleep from his eyes. _Well, that didn't take long, huh?_

I asked her about said sexy ass boy shorts (the color didn't really matter—she looked sexy in every pair she owned—but blue had always been my favorite). She told me to be serious. Little did she know, I was _totally_ being serious. I kissed her knuckles and asked her what she expected when she put the images in my head in the first place. _And boy did the images abound…and abound…and abound…_

We continued our banter for a moment, and by the time we were done, Dick had chugged a Monster energy drink—fully expecting to need the extra energy by now. _Monster, huh? Quite appropriate for you…_

While she had been speaking, my hand had had begun inching toward the Promised Land. She stuck out her tongue and Dick was then clawing his way out from under the gown. She stopped my hand just inches away and gave me her evil eye. Dick and I both retaliated with a pout—a very sexy pout, if I may say so myself. _I worked__ very__ hard perfecting that pout…_

She crushed both my and Dick's hopes and dreams when she told us she wasn't undressing in a hospital so I should just put my sexy lip back in my mouth. _Damn! __ My__ pout always worked__.__ What the hell? _Dick told me I had lost my touch and grumbled something about being whipped.

I grabbed her hand and with a cocky grin placed it right on Dick and challenged him to do a better job. Bella started to stroke me without thinking and Dick's eyes rolled back in his head. You'd think he hadn't had sex for more than 24 hours…_Fuck! Did she just say coma? What the hell?_

She had been heading to that point of the story when Dick and I were attempting to manipulate her into some sexcapade. We then decided it was high time to pay attention, so I promised not to allow anymore distractions. _That especially means you __Mister__, you horny bastard._

She began telling me everything and I listened intently until she mentioned the backdraft and it all came back to me full force. It was my fault. I nearly cost my boys their lives. I caused the ones I loved to worry over me. I made a stupid rookie mistake.

I continued to berate myself for quite a few minutes. Bella tried vehemently to console me. She just couldn't understand the magnitude of this type of mistake from someone of my stature. She questioned my reason, knowing darn good and well why I had opened the damn door, but she was just trying to make a point.

I had spoken harshly to her and instantly felt guilty for it. _I_ had made the mistake and now I was taking it out on _her_. I was a fucking idiot. I told her how sorry I was but then raised my voice to her once again, telling her there was no one beyond the door. I started castigating myself again and she stopped me forcefully. She told me she wouldn't let me carry this weight on my shoulders and then the next words out of her mouth completely threw me for a loop…

_FIVE DAYS? FIVE FUCKING DAYS?_

I knew immediately that she was lying when she told me she had been taking care of herself. She was so faithful that she wouldn't leave my side, I was sure of this. I would have to ask my mother later just how bad it had gotten. I made her a vow in that moment that I would take care of her now. _And from now on._

She insisted that my guys had all recovered and since gone home and even though this relieved me slightly, I still couldn't shake the thought that this was all because of me. All. My. Fault.

And then out of nowhere she was pouring me a glass of water. I hadn't even thought about my throat, but as I began gulping down the water I realized just how dry it was. I was distracted by the feeling of the cold water soothing my throat when she started speaking. It only took a moment for me to realize she was trying to apologize for turning down the key to my house. I stopped her…I didn't want her to apologize. I didn't want her to feel obligated or guilty in any way. I reminded her that I had said I would wait forever and that I meant it.

I reached up to kiss her and then the dream I had—if that's what you call it—during my coma came flooding back to me. I wanted that dream to come to fruition more than any other thing I had ever dreamed in my entire life. _It's now or never. If I passed this up, __all of a sudden I knew that I__ would regret it for the rest of my life…_

Dick was shaking his head and making a list of all the reasons I shouldn't proceed. _Fucker had a long list already…_

I started breathing hard and my eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets. I had never thought of proposing to a woman before. I had never even contemplated the procedure or the implementation of a proposal either. Regardless, I just knew what I had to do. I had to tell her how much she meant to me and just ask her.

I was beginning to shake, so I placed my water on the table and tried to calm myself by running my hand down my face. Dick was telling me that my nerves were a sign that this was a mistake. He reminded me about prom—how I ignored all of the 'signs' that it was not an appropriate time to attempt to have our first sexual experience…and ended up ruining the whole thing, including _not_ losing our virginity. We both swallowed the bile that had risen in our throats from that memory.

She reached for the nurse's button, but I caught her hand and shook my head. I tried to wet my lips, but licking them seemed to make my mouth drier. I swallowed several times. This was not working. I just needed to calm down and remember what I wanted. _She's worth it…there is nothing to be nervous about._ "Except rejection," Dick reminded me nonchalantly.

She asked me if everything was okay and I told her honestly that nothing was wrong. _How could I propose without a ring? I needed a ring? Where in the hell could I find a ring in a hospital? _ Dick was smiling smugly coming to the conclusion that I would give up. Apparently he didn't know me very well.

Then I saw it. Almost as if a light from heaven shone down and lit it in the midst of a dark room. Ok, not really, but hey…I was trying to propose here, so the thoughts of heaven taking part in locating the props was really helping calm my nerves. I then realized I had an idiotic smile on my face, so I unlocked Bella's hands from me—_Damn__ my__ woman was strong!_

I reached across the table and grabbed the white tape that they use to hold your IV tubes in place. This would make a perfect provisional ring until I could have Mom get Gran's ring from my safety deposit box. Dick chuckled sarcastically reminding me that she had denied my live-in proposal and asked me why I was so sure she would accept. A swarm of butterflies took up residence in my stomach at that thought.

When he realized I was going to venture forward anyway, Dick tried to yank the tape from my hands telling me I was about to fuck up a good thing. I threatened to force him back into condom-covered sex again if he didn't back the hell off. He let go of the tape and hung his head in defeat. _Was he crying?_

I turned to face Bella, who was still lying propped up beside me, and pulled her up by her shoulders. I started to tell her about my dream or vision, or whatever it was and then decided that instead of telling her the details I would just show her.

As I was speaking I began to unravel the tape. I grabbed her left hand and kissed her knuckles before I spoke her full name. I had created a ring and then lifted her left hand, holding specifically onto her ring finger. Her whole demeanor changed—she had to have known what I was doing.

I quoted e. e. cummings' 'I carry your heart with me' and then I finished with a simple, "Will you marry me?" I held the surrogate ring nervously at her finger awaiting her response. Dick buried his face in his hands shaking his head as if I had just ruined the rest of our life, but I knew he was scared too.

As she dropped her head, my heart dropped with it. If Bella wouldn't look me in the eyes, it was usually a bad thing. Dick was patting me on the back telling me he didn't want to say, "I told you so." _Then shut the fuck up… _He pulled out his little black book and began making plans for later in the week.

Bella was speaking, but I wasn't really listening to what she said. I was psyching myself up to maintain a poker face—I couldn't let her know how much it hurt this time. I hated admitting that Dick was right and I was being rejected yet again. _It was just too soon. Stupid, stupid idea. Why would she say yes after saying no to moving in? I am such a fuckwit._ Still, I would wait forever for her. I loved her that much. "If you haven't scared her away, you fucking imbecile," Dick mumbled.

Her voice started breaking getting my attention and I realized she was not saying what I thought she was. _Holy fucking shit! __Was__ she really accepting?_

Tears were falling from her eyes when she said she would be honored to spend forever with me as my wife and I couldn't help it, I was so overcome with joy that I started crying myself. Dick was calling me a pussy, but then he took it back and said, I wasn't even worthy of a word as magnificent as pussy, so he changed it to candy ass. _Prick._

I pulled her to me and kissed her gently. I wanted to ravish her and show her just how much that acceptance meant to me, but I held back since we _were_ in a hospital and I knew how quickly our kissing could turn to more salacious activities. However, my will quickly diminished when she moaned against my mouth.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing me harder. Dick had already begun freshening up with some aftershave and a breath mint. I groaned, specifically at the sensual kisses, but also at Dick and his outlandish ways. Bella stiffened—probably thinking she hurt me—and I just pulled her closer.

After our kisses became more heated she pushed me back onto my pillows, raising onto her knees. I pulled her leg over to straddle me. Within a couple of seconds Dick became reacquainted with Bella in the most primitive way. I hissed like a stupid fucking snake and she tried to jerk herself off of my lap. Dick and I immediately reacted—neither one of us would allow that. _Oh no! Once we had come in contact with her heat, there was no turning back._

I grumbled a 'no' against her lips and shook my head slightly while holding her hips in place. I kissed her deeper occasionally biting her lips and growling. _Growling? Why do I always turn into a Neanderthal around her?_

Dick was getting a bit anxious, so he made me lift my hips to brush against Bella's magnificent—albeit covered—pussy. The three of us moaned and started breathing harder.

Before I could register what exactly was happening we were dry humping like teenagers and fuck if it wasn't better than _anything_ I ever did as a teenager, especially since I didn't climax prematurely this time…

I was feeling pretty euphoric over the fact that we both just had mind-blowing, semi sex in a hospital, but Dick was pissed that he just blew his load all over a hospital gown instead of inside of Bella.

Bella helped me to get cleaned up and we called the nurse. While we were waiting I told her how happy she had made me. I still couldn't believe we were engaged! I kissed her passionately, but we were interrupted by the nurse.

The nurse was very sweet and checked me over as quickly as possible and then turned to leave. Dick started to panic. "Make her get this fucking tube out of my throat before she leaves, this is un-fucking-comfortable!" He literally screamed at me.

I pointed toward my lap and told the nurse she was forgetting something. She and Bella both looked like I had just sprouted a second head. _What do I look like a pervert? _ Dick started to say something but I warned him, "No comments from the peanut gallery."

Once she removed the catheter, I decided I was going to show Bella just how much of a pervert I could be. _That'll teach you to think that way, huh?_

Bella tried to act as if she wasn't turned on, but she couldn't hide the lust in her eyes. Dick puffed his chest out proudly.

She continued to play hard to get, so I jumped out of the bed—surprising myself with the amount of energy I actually had. Dick reminded me that we would travel to the ends of the earth for Bella's pussy, so this wasn't really that big of a feat.

I couldn't control my actions anymore than my words as I grabbed her and shoved her against my dick and told her that I knew she loved it when I went all caveman on her. _Nice way to begin an engagement, huh?_

I had my fingers in Bella's pussy and was grinding against her ass against me when I realized I couldn't hold back any longer. _What the fuck? Again?_

I realized what I had just said and done and felt like a fool. I finished bringing Bella to her orgasm and then I grumbled and cursed. She giggled at me, so I flipped her around and tried to sound angry, but I knew there was no use…she could always see right through me.

We probably would have gone for round three if Bella hadn't 'come to her senses' and decided we needed to tell my parents. Of course, she had her hand on Dick—who of course was already hard—so I had to teaser her by pushing harder into her grasp.

I made a very inappropriate joke about my parents watching to which she told me I was disgusting and pushed me onto the bed. She gestured toward my crotch and told me to hide 'him' but I had no intention of actually doing so.

I stretched out with my hands behind my head and closed my eyes just waiting for her to acknowledge Dick's performance.

She was dialing her phone when she started dying laughing. I opened my eyes because I knew she had seen it. I just shrugged and closed my eyes back, trying the whole time not to smile.

After I greeted my mom, I heard her drop the phone and yell at Dad to get his ass downstairs. It was actually quite hysterical until I heard her voice. It was evident she was crying.

I still tried to lighten the mood and teased her about asking if it was really me.

My dad then got on the phone and I joked around with him for a few minutes until Mom stated that they were coming up to the hospital. _Perfect!_

I asked her to bring Gran's heirloom with her and I could hear the extreme joy as she asked me if I was serious.

We ended the call and I attempted to get a quick round of 'playtime' in but Bella would have none of that.

* * *

We were cuddled up on the bed watching 'Everybody Loves Raymond' when we heard a knock on the door. I didn't even get to invite them in before Mom had pushed the door opened and ran to the side of the bed attacking me with hugs and kisses telling me how happy she was to see me.

Dad stood at the door with a smirk and laughed at the sight before him.

Bella attempted to get off the bed, most likely to give my mom more room to squeeze the ever loving crap out of me. I wouldn't let her go, though; I pulled her tighter to me. Mom just compensated by wrapping her arm around Bella as well and kissing her on the forehead.

"You don't know how happy I am, sweetheart!" She kissed me on the nose and then looked at Bella. "I told you that if anyone could bring him out, it would be _you_. I just knew it!"

She kissed and hugged us for a few more minutes and then jumped out of the bed like it was on fire. "OH! I almost forgot! I brought what you asked for Edward." She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.

I laughed and shook my head. "You don't have to be all secretive, Mom. She already accepted. I just needed to make it official."

Mom's eyes widened and her eyebrows nearly shot through the roof. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand looking at Bella with tears in her eyes as if she was a long lost child.

She quickly went to Bella's side of the bed and embraced her lovingly. She was weeping and mumbling how happy she was that Bella was going to join the family.

Bella hugged her back just as emphatically, but was looking at me confused.

I cleared my throat and said, "Mom, why don't you give me what you brought?"

She stood and smoothed down her blouse, smiling. "Of course, of course."

When she pulled out the small, black velvet box, Bella's eyes lit up and she gasped. She looked over at me with eyes that clearly asked if that was what she thought it was.

Mom handed me the box with shaky hands, sobbing tears of joy. I stood and walked around the bed to Bella—making sure to keep the back of my gown closed so as to not give my parents a bird's eye view. I stood in front of Bella and got down on one knee. She covered her mouth with her right hand and had tears in her eyes. _What is with women and watery eyes? _Dick razzed me about having been crying earlier.

"Isabella, I know you already answered, but I wanted to make this official with my grandmother's engagement ring." I opened the box and said, "Will you marry me, Bella?"

She nodded her head as she leapt off of the bed and nearly knocked me on my ass. She laughed and cried into my neck as she hugged and kissed me repeatedly.

She finally calmed down and sat Indian style on the floor while holding out her left hand shyly. I took the ring out of the box to place it on her finger, but before I did so, she brushed her fingers over it in amazement. "Oh my gosh! It is absolutely stunning!"

The ring had been in my family since 1901, when my great-grandpa Platt proposed to my great-grandma. He passed it down to my grandpa Joe when he was ready to propose to my grandma Elizabeth.

It really was a magnificent ring. The band was thin and yellow gold with the topmost being platinum. The platinum portion was twisted to take the shape of a ying-yang. Twelve rose cut diamonds made the shape of the ying-yang swirling around a centerpiece mine cut diamond.

As I placed the ring on Bella's finger the room was completely silent. It was as if time stood still. Once the ring was in place my heart swelled with pride. I had found the love of my life and she was going to be my wife. _MY WIFE!_ Dick couldn't decide whether to be happy or sad. He started listing off the positives and the negatives about this decision. Of course everything on the list had _something_ to do with sex…

My mom pulled us both into a huge hug telling us how happy she was and my dad came over to pat me on the shoulder and congratulate me. The whole time Bella stroked the ring with a smile on her face.

"So how soon can I expect grandkids?" Mom's face was one-hundred percent serious when she asked this.

"Mom! She _just_ accepted for God's sake! Give the poor woman a break." I laughed and squeezed Bella around the waist. I realized then that we had never spoken about children and I hoped that she wanted to have kids just as much as I did. I looked in her eyes to see her reaction to my mother's question and I didn't see horror or anxiety. I saw her lost in thought with a smile playing on her lips. Was she imagining our life with children? I kissed her temple bringing her out of her trance and she smiled broadly.

* * *

Mom and Dad stayed for nearly an hour when I couldn't hold back the yawn that escaped. I tried to reassure them that I wasn't sleepy, but they insisted that I got some rest anyway. They kissed and hugged and congratulated us one more time before they left for the evening promising to return the following day. Mom promised to bring me some of her broccoli and cauliflower casserole that I loved.

Once we were alone again, I pulled Bella close to me and snuggled under the blanket with her, while nuzzling her neck.

"You better get used to this, because now you are stuck with me as a sleeping partner for the rest of your life." I said into her neck, following it with a kiss.

She responded, "Well, there are some things you don't know about me, my dear, and you will have to get used to them as well."

I wiggled my eyebrows and said, "And just what would that be?"

"Well…I don't shave my legs every day, for one." She wrapped her ankle around mine as she said this.

I snickered and said, "I like hairy women."

"Eww! That's so gross, Edward!"

I kissed her neck and smiled, "Well, just _one_ woman actually…although, those women on 'Without a Paddle' are quite sexy." I laughed a bit louder.

She laughed and slapped my hand that was wrapped around her waist. I began caressing her flat stomach then envisioned it round with child.

"Bella—"

"Edw—"

We both laughed, but didn't speak further. I nudged her neck with my nose, "Go ahead, baby. What were you going to say?"

"Well…we never talked about children and…I just…well, I wanted to know how you felt about them."

I chuckled as I kissed her neck. "We've only been engaged for a few hours and you're already reading my mind."

"Wow…it seems so weird to hear that…engaged. I can't believe I'm engaged!" She giggled and squeezed my forearm.

"I can't wait to introduce you as my fiancée. Better yet, I can't wait to introduce you as Mrs. Cullen." I nibbled on her earlobe.

She sighed, "Mrs. Cullen. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anthony Cullen…It's beautiful." She giggled again. "So…you didn't tell me your thoughts on children. Are you avoiding the question?" I could tell she was smiling.

"Well, I have never been with someone that I imagined having children with, but ever since the BabyGate fiasco, I have thought about children. I know I want kids, but I don't want to force you into something you aren't ready for." I was being truthful, but I really hoped that she wasn't completely against having kids.

"Edward, I told you that I don't want to have any regrets. I want to take chances and live life full force. I don't want to take anything for granted anymore. Life is too short to try to plan things around _your_ schedule. If we are going to do this…get married…I want to do the whole thing. I want to be the wife _and_ the mother. I want to jump in head first."

I was so happy to hear those words come out of her mouth. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops. Truth be told, I wanted to start trying right then and there, but I thought it was best to at least wait until we had the same last name. Dick started researching ovulation cycles trying to calculate the frequency of copulation.

I cuddled closer to her and whispered in her ear, "Imagine how much fun we'll have when we are finally ready to try."

She shoved her ass into me and whispered back, "How soon can we get married?"

_Have I told you how much I love this woman?_ (Dick nods and says, "Ditto.")

**If you would like to see Bella's ring, a picture is on my profile.**

**Please, please show me some love, I really need it since we are coming to the end and I am severely depressed because of this, lol!**

**I hope you all have a wonderful New Year! HAPPY 2010!!!**


	24. The Finale

**I know you guys have been waiting a long time for this, so I will save the lengthy A/N for the bottom ;)**

**Meet you there!**

**Thanks as always to my wonderful betas, SBA and AS08. You guys have stuck with me through this whole story. You have encouraged me when I thought it was crap. You comforted me when I was crying over the sadness. I truly could not have done this without you! I love you guys tremendously!**

**SM owns, I just borrowed…and it's almost time to give them back *sniff***

BPOV

"Oh my God! Are you freaking serious?" I scrunched up my nose and squinted one eye at the shrilly sound coming from Alice's lips. She probably held the Guinness record for the octave her voice could reach.

Edward was grinning from ear to ear as she yanked my left hand away from him.

She held my hand just a few inches from her face and froze. Her jaw dropped and she whispered, "It's absolutely beautiful! Is it 19th century?"

"Almost," Esme nodded, "It was actually made in 1900. It's remarkable, isn't it?"

Alice giggled, "Bella, you lucky whore! I can't believe you scored this amazing piece of jewelry."

"The jewelry isn't the only amazing thing I scored," I winked and pulled my hand gently from hers.

Alice bumped Edward's shoulder with her own and said, "I can't believe you actually managed to brainwash…er, I mean convince her to settle down."

Alice was cackling as I slapped her arm. "You know he didn't brainwash me, you goober! I just realized I couldn't lose the best thing that's ever happened to me, so I promised to never let an opportunity pass me by again." I squeezed Edward's knee as I softly said, "Besides…" I shrugged, "Have you seen the eye candy that he works with? Imagine how entertaining our parties will be."

Edward scoffed and elbowed me, "And here I thought you only had eyes for me…"

"Are you kidding? I have been talking to a photographer friend of mine about making a calendar of all the sexy firemen you work with!" I sucked my lips in between my teeth trying to stifle my laughter.

Esme and Alice were giggling like teenage fangirls. Esme snickered, "Oh man, I'd buy ten copies!"

Alice laughed louder and said, "I know, right?"

Both Jasper and Carlisle looked at them in disbelief.

By this point I was laughing right along with them and Edward pretended to try to push me off the bed.

"So…" Alice started after she was able to speak again. "Has Renee been in since he woke up?" She was staring at the floor, refusing to look in my eye.

"Alice, please tell me you didn't call her."

She glanced up quickly, "NO! I wouldn't do that to you, Bellsie. But…don't you think she would want to know that her daughter is getting married?"

"Yes, but I'm not getting married tonight, so I don't need to rush around and tell her. I would like to savor the moment before I have to deal with her."

I wouldn't have felt guilty about this at all if I hadn't already called my dad and told him. My dad had told me months ago that he knew I would marry Edward and we would have a long and prosperous marriage. He wasn't usually one to 'predict' the future and he explained that he wasn't predicting anything…he simply could see the devotion on our faces and knew we would last forever. So this morning when I called him and told him, he didn't even respond with excitement. Of course he _did_ ask if I was pregnant. Edward's eyes popped when I said, "Yes, Daddy, it's a boy and he is due August fifteenth." I was smirking and Dad could tell. Edward just shook his head and let out a puff of air.

* * *

Esme and Carlisle left and Alice and Jasper followed shortly after.

We were cuddling together when Edward asked me where I wanted to have our wedding and if I had any ideas for a date.

"You know what? I have never been an extravagant person. How about we just have a small little wedding in the chapel near your station on Valentine's Day?"

Edward's jaw dropped, "Of this year? That's like 6 weeks away!"

I ducked my head. _Was it too soon for him?_ "Would you rather wait?"

Edward threw his head back and laughed boisterously. "Me? Hell no! If it was up to me, I would have the JP come into this room and marry us right now. Usually women want something closer to a year to be engaged…with or _without_ an elaborate wedding. Baby, I am ready to marry you today, and I'll still be ready to marry you years from now. Whatever you want."

"Valentine's Day will be an easy date for you to remember." I giggled.

"Oh, you must not know me very well. When it comes to you, I remember every date with ease. Do you remember the date we met? I bet you don't…but I do." He grinned wickedly, "And you can even verify it by looking up the records since you so conveniently work at this hospital."

I quizzed him on everything after that. And he really _did_ remember every date that meant anything about us. I had never met a person who could remember dates like that. It was amazing and incredibly sweet.

"Okay, okay. You've proven your point, but I'd still like to get married on V-day, if you are okay with it." I was fiddling with the button on my shirt and I stopped when I realized Edward was staring at me with lust in his eyes.

"No! No, no, no! Now that you're better, anyone can walk in at any time, so no more hanky panky until we get back to _our_ place." I kissed his cheek as I said 'our place' and he squeezed my waist.

"I like the sound of that, my soon to be Mrs. Cullen."

* * *

Edward and I spooned on the bed talking about decorating our house—even how we might decorate our children's rooms once we had them. Esme had already volunteered to help with whatever decorating we had in mind. This actually had me extremely excited because she was amazing at interior decorating. Heck, she was even good at exterior decorating. The only conflict would be the fact that she lived in Chicago. She promised to come down two weeks before the wedding and stay until at least two weeks after. She giggled and promised to do the same thing with "every one of the children" and she just grinned slyly.

We talked for hours until we finally were both speaking in near mumbles from being so sleepy. Edward squeezed me tightly and kissed my neck, "I love you, Isabella Marie Swan…with all of my heart. I can't wait until you are my wife."

I grinned and responded, "And I love you, Edward Anthony Cullen…with all of _my_ heart. I can't wait until I get to dance with your dad at our wedding."

"Hey!" He pinched my side and I squeaked out, "Ouch! I was kidding! Gosh are you gonna be an abusive husband?" I was giggling uncontrollably at the thought of Edward actually laying a hand on a woman.

Edward's fingers trailed every so slowly toward the waistband of my pants as he whispered in my ear, "Oh, I won't abuse…but I can't guarantee I won't _punish_."

I stopped his hand and interlaced our fingers. "Be good, mister! You can punish me all you want _at home_, but keep it rated PG in this hospital! I mean it! Now let's get some sleep."

Edward hummed against my neck, which tickled a bit, but I wasn't about to pull away. "I'll dream of punishing you for now, then. G'night baby."

"Goodnight, Edward."

* * *

The next morning, I awoke to Edward nibbling on my ear. "You should be getting more sleep than me, silly. What are you doing up already?" I said to him groggily.

"Well, first of all, I slept for five days, I don't think I need more sleep than you do…how much did _you_ sleep during those five days? Anyway, the nurse woke me up when she changed my IV. I asked her if the doctor was coming to see me today and she said he would be here in about twenty minutes and that she heard I might be leaving today or tomorrow…do you know what _that_ means Isabella?" And the earlobe went back in his mouth.

"Oh Edward! I hope you do get out today, that would be so wonderful! Can you please remove your mouth from my ear? I can't think straight with you…oh...yes…wait, no! That doesn't mean move to my neck, that's even worse!"

Edward laughed into my hair and tightened his hold on my waist. "I can't help it!" He growled and pushed himself into my ass, "Do you feel that? I woke up with that when the nurse came in! Talk about humiliating, sheesh."

I laughed at him and then twisted around to face him. "Why would that humiliate you? It's not like it's anything new as far as you're concerned." I was laughing again.

"Well, you're right…but normally I am wearing something at least a tiny bit more restricting and less obvious. You should have seen her eyes when I turned over on my back so she could check the IV site. She blushed and nearly hyperventilated! I was mortified."

We both were still snickering when Dr. Pierce came in—only five minutes later mind you. _My doctors are always late, not early, how is it Edward is so lucky?_

"Mr. Cullen, how are you today? You seem to be in good spirits. Can't say that I blame you, waking up to Dr. Swan in your bed." He smiled and then added, "You are a mighty lucky man I tell ya."

I was blushing profusely. Dr. Pierce had never even acknowledged me before, let alone acted like I was anyone he would be attracted to.

Edward was smirking, "Yes, I am a very lucky man. Not only did she sleep in my bed, but she agreed to be my wife as well."

I ducked my head and squeezed my eyes shut. I wasn't used to being the topic of conversation around my colleagues.

"Congratulations you two! Wow, that is wonderful news! I am happy for you, doctor. Now, let's see if I can get you released so that you and your fiancée can celebrate correctly."

* * *

Dr. Pierce did, in fact give him the 'okay' to go home, so I was gathering all of his things as he was taking a shower.

I had cleaned up the trash, piled up all of the linens, and placed all of his cards, gifts, and flowers together on the lounger. I was walking over to the bed to page the nurse when I heard the bathroom door open.

I turned around and out walked Edward in just his boxer briefs…with his hair dripping wet. I watched several drops trickle down his chest and slowly trail to his waist. I hadn't realized my mouth was hanging opened until he started chuckling and I looked up to see him smirking at me with his cocky little crooked grin.

"What's the matter, Isabella?"

I physically shook the thoughts from my head and looked at him as if I wasn't fazed in the slightest. "I'm calling the nurse to bring a cart, so you better get your cocky ass in some clothes there buddy." I turned around and pushed the nurse's button.

Just as the nurse was answering the page Edward wrapped his still damp arms around my waist and started kissing my neck. I squeaked into the speaker. I shoved my ass into Edward attempting to push him away, but he took that as a sexual gesture apparently, because he then held me there and moaned into my ear. _Shit!_ I cleared my throat and tried to get out what I was asking the nurse for, but it was very difficult.

Edward chuckled and spoke over my shoulder, "Could you please bring a cart for us to take my things to the car?"

The nurse responded, "Sure thing, and I'll also bring your wheelchair."

Edward grumbled and whined, "Do I hafta?"

I finally managed to wriggle out of his grasp and said, "It's policy, my dear Watson," in my best Sherlock Holmes impression.

Edward sighed, "Can you sit in my lap?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

I mumbled, "Incorrigible" as I went to the bathroom to get Edward's clothes since he made no move to do it himself.

Once we reached the lobby, the nurse waited with Edward in his wheelchair while I ran out to get my truck and bring it to the front doors. When I came back I paused and watched the scene in front of me. There were three more nurses standing around Edward. One had her hand over her mouth with wide eyes, another had her hand over her heart with her eyebrows raised and her mouth opened as if she were saying, "Awww!" The third lady was…clapping? Edward had a huge grin on his face as he was speaking. He lowered his gaze and caught sight of me and smiled broadly. He said something else and all of the nurses looked towards me and started clapping. _What in the hell did he say to them?_

I walked in and everyone in the lobby was watching me. Of course with all of this attention, I became nervous and inadvertently tripped…over nothing. _At least I didn't hit the ground…_

I righted myself and walked towards Edward with a questioning look.

All four of the nurses cheered as I came closer. "Congratulations, Dr. Swan!"

I gaped at Edward. "Are you gonna let me announce it to _anyone_?" I shook my head and smiled. "Thank you ladies. I am quite lucky, aren't I?"

As they were agreeing with me, Edward interrupted with, "No, no, no. I am the lucky one, ladies. You better believe it! This is one amazing woman here."

I walked closer and started rubbing the tip of his nose, "You go some brown stuff right…there"

Edward grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his lap. "Ok, we're ready, you can push us to the car now."

I figured we would get some sort of resistance, but the nurse obliged and pushed us to the doors. As we started to go through everyone in the lobby clapped and cheered. I buried my head in Edward's chest.

We reached the car and she put the lock in place on the wheelchair and I started to get up. Edward wouldn't let me move. I looked up at him and he had his mouth twisted and his eyebrows furrowed. "What is it baby?"

His eyes bugged out and the nurse came beside his chair and asked him if everything was okay. Edward started blushing. And then I knew. I tried desperately to keep from smiling as I asked her if she could run back in and get his cart that I left in the lobby—when Edward brilliantly pulled me into his lap.

Once the nurse was out of earshot, I slapped Edward's chest. "See what your bright idea cost you? Now let me up and get in the truck, you moron!" I climbed out of his lap chuckling. He grabbed my hand before I could walk away.

He stood up and pulled me to him. "You are in so much trouble when we get home, my dear Isabella," Edward warned me in my ear.

I shuddered and retorted, "Actually, I think it is _you_ who is in trouble when we get home." I poked his chest with my finger with each syllable.

Edward's eyes lit up and he suddenly looked like the cat that ate the canary. "Will there be whips involved? How about handcuffs? Leather? Oh please tell me there will be leather!" Edward had managed to slip his fingers under my waistband at this point.

I gasped as the nurse started giggling behind Edward. Edward's eyes widened and he froze. He even quit breathing! I decided it was time to put Edward and his insatiability in check. "Of course! I know you like it rough." Edward's mouth dropped and he still had yet to take a breath. I started moving my hands to his ass and lowered my voice, but made sure the nurse could still hear, "Maybe tonight we can try the plug again," and I grabbed a handful of each cheek and spread him wide.

I have never seen Edward move as fast as he did at that point. He twisted out of my arms and jumped in my truck, burying his head in his hands.

I was laughing hysterically, as was the nurse, while I loaded his things into my truck.

I jumped into the driver's seat and looked over at Edward. He still had his head in his hands and I was worried that I might have gone too far and upset him. I put my hand on is back, "Edward, I'm—"

Suddenly, Edward had me pinned against my door and was hovering over my face. I was scared for the briefest moment from the menacing look he was giving me, but Edward could never hide the lust in his eyes, so I decided to continue with my little game.

I grinned devilishly and quickly moved my hand to his crotch and squeezed. That obviously caught him off guard because he grunted and released a sharp breath. "So, I take it the plug idea turns you on?"

Edward looked at me like I was crazy. "What—…uh, no! God, no! I can't believe you said that, actually. But…it was…well, incredibly hot when you talked about liking it rough." He smirked and licked his lips as his hand crept down past my shoulder and toward my breast.

"Edward," I warned. "Can't you just wait ten more minutes?"

He huffed and dropped his head on my shoulder, "I guess, if I have to," he pouted.

* * *

Eight and a half minutes later I was pulling up to his house. Edward's hand had been inching higher and higher up my leg and I did _not_ want a repeat of the road finger incident, so I was driving over the speed limit.

I put my truck in park and hopped out of my side. I made my way over to Edward and he was already standing beside the truck. He slammed the door shut and grabbed my elbow and started pulling me to the house. _Damn was he impatient!_

He barely had the doorknob turned before he jerked me in the house and shoved me against the wall beside the door. "Fuck, Bella, I thought we would never make it home." His lips crashed into mine as his hands ascended under my shirt. As his palms grazed my nipples I groaned in his mouth. _I guess sometimes going without a bra has its advantages._

Edward pulled back minutely to lift my shirt over my head. He flung it behind him and I heard something hard fall to the floor. He didn't even flinch. He was caressing my breasts while his tongue explored my mouth. I wasn't about to let him have the upper hand in this, so I shoved him into the adjoining wall and the picture beside his head crashed to the floor. "Shit, I'm—" he interrupted me with his tongue and I quickly forgot what I was apologizing for.

I was lifting his shirt and once he realized, he broke the kiss again, just briefly. As his lips met mine again he twisted me around so that I was pinned against the wall once more. My thigh hit the small table that held a candy dish and a shallow ceramic bowl that he placed his keys in. The table toppled over and the items on it clattered onto the floor. Edward snickered and continued his movements with his fingers, lips and tongue.

I trailed my hands to the buttons on his jeans and began undoing them one by one. As I opened the third button my knuckles grazed over his erection and he moaned and pinched both of my nipples. I started pushing him backwards, trying to get the upper hand once more. He had turned himself so that we were actually walking towards the kitchen, still lip-locked with roaming hands. He twisted around so that my ass hit his dining table. He pulled back, licked his lips and smirked.

Next thing I knew, Edward had lifted me up to sit on the table. He put both hands on my chest and started pushing me to lie down. Something stabbed me in the back and I yelped. Without breaking eye contact, he reached behind me and swept everything onto the floor. Once I was lying on the table, he hooked his fingers beneath my waistband and began removing my pants. He bent slightly and breathed softly against my pussy. I shuddered and whimpered. He lowered his mouth until his tongue slipped between my lips. I arched my back and slapped my hands down on the table.

"Shit, Edward!"

He merely 'mmm'd against me and delved deeper. I nearly came right there. Edward was so incredible with his tongue. I must have been wiggling too much for him because he lifted my feet and placed them on his shoulders.

"Oh FUUUUCK!" I screamed as I reached my orgasm almost a split second later.

Edward lifted his head and licked his lips then grinned hugely at me. "I need to remember the feet on the shoulders for next time," he said as he nodded at me knowingly.

I tried to sit up, but I was spent for the moment. I took a few minutes to catch my breath and finally rose up on my elbows. I shook my head and chuckled. Edward cocked his head and looked at me curiously. "It's a good thing I am marrying you. I would hate for any other woman to benefit from that amazing tongue of yours."

He snickered and kissed a trail up my stomach, between my breasts, across my collarbone, and stopped at my ear. He nibbled on my earlobe before he whispered, "It's a good thing I'm marrying _you_ because I would hate for any other man to benefit from the sweet taste of that amazing pussy of yours."

I grabbed him around the neck and wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling myself forward so I could slide off of the table. He raised us both up and as soon as my feet hit the floor, I had his pants down around his ankles and his cock in my mouth.

"Mother fucker!" Edward huffed as _his_ hands now slapped the dining table and he dropped his head to watch me manipulate him with my mouth.

"Oh, fuck, baby! Shit! Son of a….Bella…stop! Shit! Fuuuck!" He jerked away from me and I looked up at him in shock.

He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me to a standing position. "I don't wanna cum anywhere but inside you right now, baby." He kissed me softly and spoke deeply, his voice dripping with sex, "Come over to the couch."

I walked toward the couch, but I didn't hear him behind me, so I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. He had stopped to fully remove his pants and I giggled imagining him walking forward and tripping.

He gave me a warning look and darted towards me quickly. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. He grabbed me around the waist and carried me around to the front of the couch and threw me onto it! "Edward! What the?"

He grinned and flipped me over onto my knees and placed my hands on the back of the couch. He placed his hand between my shoulder blades and slowly ran his fingers down my spine. I felt goosebumps raise as his fingers descended.

"Isabella…do you know what seeing you like this does to me?" He trailed his finger down between my ass cheeks and I squealed and clenched, but Edward continued speaking as his finger continued on its path. "You are so fucking sexy in this position, baby." Edward groaned and dropped his forehead onto my back as he circled my clit. "You're always so wet for me, too." He kissed my back gently.

He slipped a finger inside me and spoke against my skin, "Are you ready for me, Isabella?"

"Oh God! Please, Edward!"

He grabbed my hips and entered me slowly. His voice quivered as he said, "Oh, fuck…I love being inside of you."

It started off gently, both of us rocking against each other softly, but it quickly escalated. I could tell Edward was holding back and he wanted to go faster, harder, deeper…but he was always worried about me. I was ready for it, too, so I coaxed him on. "Harder, baby! Give me all of your magnificent cock!"

"Shit, Bella!" He moved faster, harder and deeper. "I love it when you talk dirty, baby, FUCK!" I could tell he was close already and that realization brought me to my own orgasm.

"Edward! Shitfuck! Uuuuuuungh!" I screamed. Edward's grip tightened as he stilled and groaned my name with his release.

I dropped my head to the back of the couch at the same time Edward dropped his onto my back. We caught our breath and I started giggling. "So, I guess we have officially christened the couch in _our_ house, huh?"

Edward was kissing up my spine and chuckling, "So far, yes…where would you like to go next?"

Before I could answer, I heard 'ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-mama's boy' coming from Edward's cell.

He groaned and went to retrieve his phone as I sat on the couch laughing my ass off. "Tell Esme I said, 'Hello!'" I shouted and started laughing again.

Edward answered his phone with, "Yes, Mom? ... Oh shit!"

I jerked my head up to try to decipher what was going on.

"I'm sorry, Mom, it totally slipped my mind…of course I love you—" He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Mom, I'm sorry, I was just anxious to get home and I forgot to—Mom! No, Mom, we weren't 'getting busy.'" Edward squeezed his eyes shut and started blushing. "Mom, can we please end this conversation? … Oh, well, yeah! I'm sure she would like that as well. Ok, Mom, call me and let me know a time. I really could use a nap right now, okay?" Edward was looking at me now with a wicked grin. _Nap, my ass…_

"I love you too, Mom. Bye." He ended the call and curled his first finger motioning for me to come to him. "There's a kitchen counter over here with your name on it."

I stood up and shook my head. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are insatiable!"

* * *

Esme called around three to let us know she had made reservations at Assaggio for 7:30. Of course, Edward took this as confirmation that we had more time to christen each room of the house.

Finally around 5:00, I managed to get away from him to get ready. I started heading to the shower when I remembered that I didn't have a nice dress at his house to wear. I whined and told him I needed to run to my house and that I would just get ready there and he could pick me up at 7:00. He pouted but agreed knowing we would be less rushed this way.

I barely had the door opened when Alice tackled me with a hug. "Oh, Bella! We haven't been out in quite a while, I'm so excited!"

I was giggling as she was pulling me to my bedroom. "I already laid out your clothes, so grab some undies and jump in the shower. I have the hot rollers heating up already. I'll get ready while you shower, now hop to it."

I rolled my eyes and started rooting through my drawers. I passed over my navy blue boy shorts and started chuckling. Just the mention of them when Edward woke up got him hot and bothered. I decided I would definitely have to wear them tonight…and quite possibly let him know that fact just as we were walking into the restaurant.

I took a super fast shower, dried off, and made my way back to my bedroom where Alice was already sorting her makeup on my vanity. I looked on my bed and stopped dead in my tracks. "Mary Alice Brandon! What in God's name do you think you are doing?" Alice jumped ten feet in the air when I shouted her full name at her. I never ever used her real name unless I was angry with her. In this case, I wasn't angry, but she was smoking crack if she thought I was going to wear what she had laid out for me.

"Now, Bella…tonight is a special night! It is your first dinner as a fiancée…you have to look extra special. Edward will be so proud to show you off in that!" She whined and looked at me through her lashes. Her little puppy dog eyes were not going to work in this case.

"Alice! That dress is see-through! Are you nuts?"

Alice rolled her eyes, "Bella, it isn't see-through in the places that it counts. It's only see-through from your thigh down…"

I looked at her indignantly, "I might as well be wearing a miniskirt!" I picked it up and turned it over. "And the back, Alice?…there is no back! You know I can't wear something that revealing, Alleycat. I just can't."

"Bella, I promise you, once you put it on you will love it. Just try it, please? If you totally hate it, I swear you can change your mind…but look," she held up the cutest pair of heels that matched perfectly—complete with rhinestones. "You can wear these with it. Tell me it won't look wonderful!"

I sighed and jerked the shoes from her. She giggled and clapped her hands emphatically.

"It doesn't mean I am definitely wearing it. I am only promising to try it on right now."

I put the dress on and the shoes and looked in the full-length mirror. I was stunned. It really was gorgeous. It didn't look as inappropriate on me as it did on the bed. It made me feel sexy…confident. I did a quick spin and couldn't help the smile that was spreading across my face.

"Was I right or was I right?" Alice didn't even wait for a response, she shoved me into the chair in front of my vanity and started blow drying my hair. I started painting my nails while she dried and scrunched my hair.

Once my hair was dry she started rolling it sporadically onto curlers. While the curlers were cooling she started applying my makeup. "Alice, I think I can handle putting on makeup myself, don't you?"

"Of course, Belly button, but I want to pamper you today. You've had a rough week. I am going to transform you into a goddess tonight." She grinned wickedly.

When all was said and done that is exactly how I felt. My hair was swept back on the left with a black comb that had—you guessed it, rhinestones on it. _Man, can this girl coordinate!_ There were several barrel curls throughout my hair and it looked amazing. She did my makeup lightly and gave me smoky eyes that went perfect with the dress and heels. She even handed me a small clutch that looked like it was made especially for this dress.

Alice kissed her fingertips and pulled them from her mouth and said, "Magnifico! Molto Bella!"

I shook my head and giggled at her.

She linked our elbows and started walking toward the door, "Let's go bring them to their knees, baby!"

* * *

At three minutes till seven I heard the doorbell. My heart started racing. I don't know why I was so nervous. Edward had seen me naked hundreds of times. Edward had even seen me at my worst. Why would I be worried when he saw me at what was now going to be considered my best?

I answered the door to a smiling Edward with a bouquet of irises. His smile started to fade as his eyes began trailing down my body. _Great…he doesn't like it._

"Hi…" I said softly.

Edward's jaw dropped and his eyes made their way slowly back up my body. By the time he looked back into my eyes, he swallowed hard and licked his lips. "Did you fall from heaven today…because you must be an angel…scratch that…I don't think God would allow angels to look that sexy."

"Edward!" I slapped him with my clutch and he grinned.

He handed me the flowers and asked if I wanted to put them in water before we left. I thanked him with a kiss and ran to the kitchen to put them in a vase and quickly filled it with water.

I turned around and was surprised to see Edward standing in the doorway of the kitchen…looking deliciously sexy leaning up against the doorframe. I just stopped and stared for a minute or so then walked to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Did I tell you how handsome you look?" He had wrapped his arms around me and cocked his head as if he was in thought. "No, but your neighbor told me to ask you if you would share."

I huffed, "Whatever! Shut up and kiss me you handsome fool."

Just before his lips touched mine he whispered, "You look absolutely stunning tonight, Isabella. Really."

* * *

Once we were all seated at Assaggio, Carlisle motioned to the waiter. The waiter walked up to him and he tilted his head for him to come closer. He whispered something in his ear and the waiter nodded before he walked away quickly.

We looked over our menus and talked briefly about how our day was and the waiter returned with a bottle of champagne. Carlisle stood up, holding the bottle to his chest. Everyone was looking at him and he cleared his throat. "Today is a day to celebrate. Not only is my son alive and well and now out of the hospital, but he has also found the woman he is going to marry."

Everyone responded with enthusiasm. Emmett discreetly fist-pumped the air and Rose looked like a proud parent. Alice clapped quickly and quietly so as not to disturb the other diners. The waiter began to pour champagne into everyone's glasses.

Carlisle continued, "I would like to propose a toast to Edward and my second favorite woman in the world, Bella. May you both have a long, happy, and healthy life together. May it be prosperous and filled with joy."

Esme piped up, "And may you bring us lots of grandchildren!"

Everyone at the table started laughing, and then clinked their glasses together. The waiter placed the champagne into the silver ice bucket and asked if we were ready to order. Everyone then placed their orders and he hurried back to the kitchen.

Edward grabbed the wine bottle and appraised it. "Wow, Dad! Cristal. Very nice."

Carlisle responded that a special occasion called for a special champagne and then looked at him pointedly saying, "Don't get used to it, son."

Esme giggled and slapped his arm lightly.

Alice cheerfully asked, "Have you guys set a date yet?"

I bit my lip and Edward took the initiative. "Valentine's Day."

Esme spoke her approval as Alice said, "That's not too bad, that gives us a little over a year to get—"

"Of this year," Edward continued.

All eyes snapped to me and Alice nearly fell out of her chair, "You've gotta be shitting me!" She glanced at Esme and Carlisle and apologize, then lowered her voice, "Bella, you can _not_ plan a wedding in mere weeks, are you crazy? This stuff takes time!"

Edward helped me explain that we were just having a small, quick ceremony and we didn't need more than a few weeks. As Alice kept protesting I threatened to just elope and she finally, reluctantly agreed to support our date.

We carried on with a friendly conversation until our food arrived. Everyone ooh'd and ahh'd as their food was placed in front of them.

I had taken two bites when Edward leaned over and looked at the food on my plate. He whispered in my ear, "Show me yours and I'll show you mine." I nearly choked on my bite until I realized he was actually just wanting to taste my food. I thought now would be the perfect time to continue with my plan that I had started earlier this evening.

I put my hand around his neck and pulled him close to me as I whispered, "I was planning on showing you the cute little blue boy shorts I'm wearing, but I didn't think it would be appropriate in front of everyone else in this restaurant…however, if you insist..."

Edward had just taken a sip of his wine and it was now _his_ turn to start choking.

Carlisle looked up quickly, "Are you okay, son?" Edward nodded, still coughing quietly. "I know you like being around Bella, but I don't think going back to her hospital is the best answer for that," he chuckled.

I started to take another bite when 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley started playing on my cell.

Alice and Rose both groaned, "Renee."

I grabbed my cell and answered without even thinking.

"Bella! Where are you?" She was nearly screaming in my ear.

"I'm at Assiaggo with…" _Oh fuck! I hadn't even told Renee that Edward was out of the hospital yet._ I covered the mouthpiece and whispered that I would be right back to everyone. I stepped outside and continued my conversation with my very annoyed mother.

As it turns out she was at the hospital to officially meet my _boyfriend._ When I explained that he was released and we were celebrating at the restaurant she really did scream in my ear. She was pissed that I forgot about her.

"I'm sorry, Mom. Everything happened so fast. I didn't call anyone. Esme called Edward's cell, otherwise she wouldn't have known either. I swear, Mom, I wasn't even thinking straight. I'll tell you what…tomorrow, you can meet us for lunch…we have some news for you anyway."

"Bella…you aren't pregnant, are you?"

I snorted, "No, Mom, trust me, I'm not."

She finally agreed and I told her I would find out after dinner where Edward would like to meet and I would text her with the details. We exchanged goodbyes and ended the call.

I went back to the table and everyone asked if everything was okay. I explained how my mother was upset because she was at the hospital and we were gone and I never let her know.

Esme giggled, "Well, that's what happened with me and Carlisle, too."

Alice gasped, "Bella! You guys didn't tell his parents he got out of the hospital? You are horrible!"

Emmett belted, "I'm sure I know why…Edward couldn't wait to get in—"

Rose elbowed him in the stomach and he oomph'd, but that shut him up.

Edward grabbed my knee and squeezed it gently. He whispered in my ear, "Are you okay?"

I nodded and patted his hand before returning to my food that was beginning to get cold.

Edward leaned closer and whispered in my ear, "Are you really wearing those sexy ass shorts?"

I had a mouthful of food, so I shrugged my shoulders and hummed 'I don't know' but I couldn't hold back the grin.

He moaned quietly and dropped his head on my shoulder. However, his hand started creeping up my thigh. Next thing I knew it was under the hem of my dress. I swallowed quickly and grabbed his hand and whispered, "I don't think so, buddy."

Everyone was so wrapped up in their own conversations and didn't hear our whisperings. He kept pushing his fingers higher. I decided that two could play at that game and grabbed myself a handful. Edward jerked up quickly and his knee hit the table, consequently knocking over his glass of wine.

"Shit!" He started grabbing at napkins trying to blot the mess. Everyone was looking at him curiously. Emmett and Rose had knowing grins on their faces. _Eww…that __was__ a visual I did not need._

The waiter came over with extra napkins and helped Edward clean up his mess. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped. He gave me a dirty look out of the corner of his eye, but then he grinned.

Dinner continued uneventfully after that and around ten we decided to turn in for the evening. Everyone again congratulated us and we all went our separate ways.

On the way home I told Edward what I had promised my mom. Edward decided we would go to Bluwater Bistro, so I texted my mom with the details.

* * *

As we pulled in front of Bluwater the next afternoon, I began to panic. I wasn't sure why. I was just very nervous about telling Mom about our engagement.

We found a seat and waited. Mom always loved to be 'fashionably late' so I didn't expect her for another fifteen minutes. She surprised me when she showed up in two.

"Bella, darling! And you must be…oh wow, Edward, you are……. absolutely gorgeous!"

I stifled a moan and forced a smile. Edward suddenly looked uncomfortable. I mouthed, "I'm sorry" and he relaxed. Mom wrapped her arms around him and told him how nice it was to finally meet him.

We were finally all seated with our drinks and menus when she looked between us and said, "So, you have news for me?"

Edward's head jerked up and he looked at me quizzically.

I cleared my throat and said, "How about I just show you?" I held out my hand and showed her the ring.

"OH MY GOD! Bella, baby! Really? Are you serious? I'm so excited!" She looked at Edward, "I can't believe you convinced my baby to agree to marriage! I never ever thought I would see the day…speaking of day…when are you planning? Did you want a fall wedding or are you thinking of making it next spring?"

"Um…actually, Mom, we are getting married on Valentine's Day," and before she could comment like Alice did the night before, I continued, "of this year."

Of course my mother reacted very similarly to Alice with this response. And, of course, I also had to threaten to elope just like I did with Alice.

Once that was out of the way, the rest of lunch was quite pleasant. Mom behaved appropriately and spent some time getting to know Edward. Before we parted ways, Mom said she needed to head back home if she was going to be able to return a week before the wedding. I told her it wasn't necessary and she argued that the mother _has_ to help in the final days leading up to the wedding. I agreed dejectedly.

A few hugs and kisses later and we were heading in opposite directions. I breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone now knew, so that was out of the way.

* * *

The next few weeks were complete and utter chaos. Alice was freaking out about how little time we had to prepare. I finally sat her down and told her my expectations—and there weren't very many. The only thing I was adamant about was that I wanted Edward in a black tux with a black shirt and a white tie. Alice giggled and said something about a bow tie and I nearly bit her head off and told her absolutely no bowtie. She pouted the whole time as she looked at the online catalogue.

Alice wanted everything to be fancy and I had to repeatedly tell her that Edward and I were not fancy and we didn't need a fancy wedding. Eventually we compromised…but this took many, many late nights and just as many arguments.

I had convinced her that a theme wedding would be right up our alley. Alice looked like the Cheshire cat after I said that. She was so incredibly excited. She decided on a firefighter theme. I thought it would be perfect for us…crazy and cute. I pretty much gave her free reign on the decorations and invitations, and made her extremely happy.

However, when we went shopping for the gown, we fought like cats and dogs. I wanted to go to David's Bridal in Lynnwood and Alice complained for the entire twenty minute trip. I threatened, yet again, to elope if she didn't cut me some slack.

From the moment we walked in, I knew it was going to be a long day. Alice would skip over every dress that caught my eye and go for the dresses I wanted to run over with my truck. After three hours (and about twelve nearly screaming fits) I realized we were getting nowhere. I asked her if she would run to the nearest convenience store and pick me up a bottled water because I was getting dehydrated. Really, I just wanted to breathe without her in my face for a few minutes.

Once Alice was out of the store, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes taking deep, deep breaths.

"Ma'am?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin when the petite blonde spoke to me in a voice barely above a whisper. I grabbed my heart and caught my breath, "Yes?"

"I couldn't help but notice that ball of energy that was running rings around you all day," she giggled. "I can tell you're exhausted. However, I was watching you and I'm pretty sure I have an idea of the dresses that you prefer. I think I might have one in the backroom that is perfect for you. Would you like to follow me?"

I glanced at the front door making sure Alice hadn't snuck back yet and nodded. I followed her in silence. I really hoped she had a gown that I wanted so I could end this nightmare of a day.

We walked into the backroom where she had a small rack of gowns that had been tried on and declined. She pulled out the one she was suggesting and I nearly fell to my knees to worship her. It was absolutely perfect! I really _did_ wrap her in a bear hug, though.

She giggled and said that she was pretty sure it would fit me, but I should try it on anyway.

I was in the fitting room when I heard the bell on the front door ring. I zipped up my dress and spun around. _This_ was something I could see myself getting married in. The gown was simple, which was exactly my style. It was ivory, with a halter style top and an all-over lace beaded bodice with a sash at the waist and a fishtail skirt. It finished with a chapel train. I was totally in love.

I continued to inspect every inch of myself in this magnificent gown when I heard Alice speaking to the lady who showed it to me. She explained to her that I had found a dress that I wanted to try on. I could hear the negativity in Alice's voice as she asked, "Did she now?"

I confidently opened the fitting room door. I was ready to battle. Come hell or high water, I was buying this dress.

I was completely surprised that I didn't even have to fight Alice over it. She clapped and bounced when she saw me. "Bella! That is positively perfect! I can't believe you managed to pick something out so exquisite! I am totally amazed." _Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alice._

Alice began looking for veils, but I shook my head and showed her a silver headband with a crystal and pearl design off to the side. I'd had my eye on it for the last two hours. Alice sulked about the veil, but admitted that the headband would look amazing if I curled my entire head of hair. Then she perked up and said she had a pair of earrings and a necklace that would complete the ensemble. _No surprise there._

With the hardest part behind me, the following weeks were a cakewalk. Everything Alice suggested I simply nodded and agreed. It didn't take her long before she realized I didn't care either way. She complained that, and I quote, "unless you're like your mother, this will be the only wedding you ever have, and you need to at least take part in arranging it." _Nice, very nice…_

I explained to her that I was working on my vows and that was the most important arrangement I wanted to have. Honestly, I had been working on no such thing, but at least my excuse was sufficient for Alice.

* * *

Two weeks before the wedding we were in the middle of a very heated conversation with 'the gang' about upcoming activities. Edward and I had both decided that bachelor/bachelorette parties were for people that needed that last night of freedom before they were tied down for eternity. Neither of us had any qualms with spending eternity with each other, so we felt no need to have them. Emmett nearly had an aneurism when he realized he would have no excuse to invite a stripper over now. He reacted like a child who just lost their dog. Jasper commended Edward on his thoughtfulness and 'respect for the lady'.

Alice and Rose were a bit put out as well over my aversion to a bachelorette party. I told them I would rather us all just hang out together and have a good time. We all agreed to just throw a normal party and invite everyone from the station and the hospital. Alice was ecstatic about planning another party—we left it all up to her since no one was better than Alice.

I felt kinda bad about not planning _anything_, but if you knew anything about Alice, you knew that it was better to leave it up to her than to try to do it yourself and then fail miserably—which was usually the case when it came to attempting to match Alice's skills.

The night of the party was a blast. All of our friends made an appearance one way or another. It was actually tricky due to work schedules, but everyone worked around their schedule to allow all of the invitees to get their turn. On top of having fun, everyone brought gifts…something I told Alice to insist on them not doing. She repeatedly swore that she told everyone, but I highly doubt that was true. Another reason that I was pretty positive Alice had a hand in it…no two gifts were alike. What were the chances of that?

Everyone who didn't have to go into work later ended up plastered that night. We made sure to check the keys at the door so no one would drive home and ended up having numerous guests spend the night.

The following morning everyone was amazingly helpful with cleanup responsibilities and left us with very little to do once they were gone. Emmett, Jasper and Edward loaded all of our gifts into my truck while I helped the girls with the last of their cleaning. I thanked everyone for pitching in and we headed back to our house just in time to meet my mom and Emily, who had come in for the final week leading up to the wedding. Edward had offered our place for them to stay instead of a hotel…I told him I would rather pay for them to stay in a hotel. He shook his head at me, grinning, and told me I was a horrible daughter. I patted his arm and told him it was only a matter of time before he regretted his decision.

And it was. Two days, in fact. I had to hand it to him…I figured it would be sooner.

"I never thought someone could be _worse_ than my mother. I didn't even think it was possible," he said as we were on our way to the store to pick up toilet paper that we conveniently ran out of (by stuffing in the back of Edward's underwear drawer).

Mom had been making every insinuation known to man about Edward and my _activities._ When it was bedtime she would wiggle her eyebrows and tell us to have fun, but 'be safe'.

"You know, I knew Mom was blunt, but I never thought she would be this way, I swear. However, Mr. You-can-stay-at-our-place-no-need-to-spend-your-money-on-a-hotel…I warned you. But, noooooo! I was a horrible daughter. Hmph!" I elbowed him in the rib as we walked toward the store.

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"You better get used to saying that, buddy…if you want this marriage to last."

We both stopped and turned around to see my dad standing behind us. "Daddy!" I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him tightly. "What are you doing here?"

He started chuckling, "I called your place to let you know I was on my way and Renee told me where you guys were, so I wanted to surprise you." He didn't loosen his hold on me as he nodded to Edward, "Edward, good to see you again." I could hear the smile in his voice. Dad had really taken a liking to Edward and I was incredibly proud.

I tried to convince him to stay at our place but he assured me that it wasn't a good idea for him and my mother to be under the same roof for that amount of time. He had already made plans to stay with a local officer that he had been friends with since police academy. I jokingly asked him if he could take Mom with him and he laughed…I didn't…neither did Edward.

The next few days we made up numerous excuses to get out of the house. Sometimes we just drove somewhere peaceful and cuddled in the car. Peaceful was the key word. Our once peaceful house was anything but with Mom staying there now.

* * *

Finally, it was the day before the wedding. I have to say that I wasn't as nervous about getting married as much as I was nervous about all of the participants of the ceremony.

Edward appeared as laid back as Jasper and I was amazed. When I asked him about it he simply said, "People get cold feet when they're worried that they're making a mistake. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am not making a mistake." He pulled me into a final hug and kissed me with all the passion he could muster.

Reluctantly, we pulled away from each other. The next time we saw one another it would be accompanied by Mendelssohn's Wedding March.

Edward headed over to Jasper's and I was left to my doom in my old house. Alice, Rosalie, Angela, Mom, and Emily were there to torture…er, I mean 'pamper' me and keep my mind occupied.

They spent the evening doing my nails—toes and fingers—putting my hair in curlers, giving me a face mask—complete with cucumbers, and waxing, yes, waxing my legs and coming dangerously close to my hoohah. _Whoever called __t__his pampering need__ed__ to be shot._

The highlight of the evening was watching 'Wicker Park' and eating Ben and Jerry's.

* * *

Banging…incessant banging woke me from a wonderful dream of Edward and me on the beach…alone…without annoying mothers and friends who insisted on making you as miserable as possible.

I jumped from my bed, forgetting that I was still in curlers and a beater and boy shorts. I just wanted to get the banging to stop.

I opened the front door and immediately regretted my hasty reaction. Two men were standing at the door. One was playing the violin while the other held a piece of paper in his hand. As soon as they confirmed that I was indeed one Isabella Swan, the man began to read what was on the paper. I then realized what the man with the violin was playing.

_How do I get through one night without you  
If I had to live without you  
What kind of life would that be  
Oh I, I need you in my arms  
Need you to hold  
You're my world, my heart, my soul_

_If you ever leave  
Baby you would take away everything good in my life  
And tell me now_

_How do I live without you  
I want to know  
How do I breathe without you  
If you ever go  
How do I ever, ever survive  
How do I  
How do I  
Oh, how do I live_

_Without you, there'd be no sun in my sky  
There would be no love in my life  
There'd be no world left for me  
And I, oh Baby, I don't know what I would do  
I'd be lost if I lost you  
If you ever leave  
Baby you would take away everything real in my life  
And tell me now_

_How do I live without you  
I want to know  
How do I breathe without you  
If you ever go  
How do I ever, ever survive  
How do I  
How do I  
Oh, how do I live_

I had tears trailing down my cheeks as the music ended and the man with the violin reached down to the ground to grab a dozen sweetheart roses and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. They congratulated me and turned to leave. I opened the card nestled in the roses and read:

_My darling Isabella,_

_The song I chose explains exactly how I feel about you._

_You're my world, my heart, my soul. I love you from the very core of my being._

_Today, you will make me the happiest man alive._

_I'll meet you at the altar. I'll be the one in…well, black. :)_

_Love,_

_Edward_

_Happy Valentine's Day my beautiful bride!_

I turned around to a trio of smiling faces…until Alice saw my puffy eyes. "No! No, no, no, no! Come here, now!" She then proceeded to rub Preparation H under my eyes.

"Ass cream, Alice? What the hell?"

"It reduces swelling, smarty pants. For your information, I have never used this on my ass!"

Over the next few hours I was poked and prodded by eight arms. I was jerked from side to side and stretched from top to bottom. I seriously started to wonder if I was turning rubbery or something with the way they had manipulated my body.

The end result was astonishing. Never in a million years would I have recognized myself if I wasn't present for the transformation.

Everyone squealed and clapped and started doing happy dances. _Yay me…_

* * *

I was waiting outside of the sanctuary arm in arm with my Dad. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. He patted my hand and whispered, "I'm so happy for you baby. So happy. You deserve this more than any woman I know. He's a good man." I heard his voice crack on the last word and he didn't say any more.

I didn't respond. Alice would kill me if I cried right now. I just squeezed his hand in acknowledgement.

The doors opened and immediately I searched for those gorgeous green eyes…Gigi. He stared at me in amazement as I did him. My dad nudged me to get my feet in gear.

The Wedding March started and I began the walk down the aisle…toward my future. The future I was no longer afraid of. The future I was going to embrace with open arms. The future that never would have been possible if it wasn't for that fateful day less than a year ago when a certain Fire Chief reluctantly followed protocol and a certain doctor reluctantly took a co-worker's shift.

**Ok, so I have kept most of my A/Ns rather short. I make no promises this time! Lol!**

**First of all I want to apologize for the delay in this update. As you can see this is much longer than I usually write, lol. Also, one of my dear betas has been getting ready for surgery and going on a long break from work, so she was extremely busy. I am so thankful she took time out of her hectic schedule to beta this for me. I love you bb!!!**

**As always, check out my profile for pics of what Bella is wearing and for the vid that goes with the song in the 'singing telegram' lol.**

**So, all that is left is the epi. I know what I plan on putting in it, but I would like to hear what you guys hope to see in it. I'm not making promises, but I might add to my plans if someone has a good enough idea :) I will be sure to give a shout out to whomever suggests something I wasn't planning on putting in ;)**

**I want to thank all of you for reading and especially for reviewing! I never thought I would have 100 reviews let alone close to 1000! I love you all and every single review makes me smile! For real!**

**Now, I would like to throw out a few recs. These fics own me!!**

**White Houses by my beta Allysue08: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5164093/1/White_Houses**

**Random Angels by the lady who made my trailer, Eila: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5326052/1/**

**How to Save a Life by : www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5454169/1/**

**A Rough Start by itzmegan73: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5319052/1/**

**University of Edward Masen by SebastienRobichaud: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5390119/1/The_University_of_Edward_Masen**


	25. The FuneralOUTTAKE

*******************PLEASE READ THIS!!!!******************

**I posted this outtake a week or so ago and not a lot of my readers have read it. This is kinda important if you wanted to know about the wedding. This is the only place you will find out anything about their wedding day *grin***

**If you have already read my outtakes, you can skip this chapter and I am sorry for getting your hopes up.**

**HOWEVER, the epi is with my betas, so it will be up within a few days! YIPEE!**

**As usual, my outtakes are not beta'd, although I would like to thank my normal beta Allysue08 for doing a pre-read for me to make sure it was okay to post, lol.**

**Thanks so much for reading!**

DPOV

I'm caught between a rock and a hard place…and that is NOT a good place for a dick to be.

On the one hand, I know that I will get to be immersed in Bella's sweet pussy every day for the rest of my life, but on the other hand…I know that I will get to be immersed in **only** Bella's sweet pussy every day for the Rest. Of. My. Fucking. Life.

Yeah, I guess you could say I'm suffering from cold…er balls.

Edward's all gung ho about this whole wedding ordeal. He has no apprehensions whatsoever. He's a fucking moron. I think that coma did some massive damage to his cerebral cortex because this dude's thought process is whacked.

I have to admit…we came out of that coma and both of us were hornier than a two-dick billy goat, so I was more than ecstatic when Bella was nearby because I thought we would be getting some action right away. Then she mentioned those sexy ass boy shorts and I was done for. But that didn't last long. She insisted nothing was happening in the damn hospital.

I thought for sure when Edward put her hand on me and she began to stroke…oh my God and my eyes were rolling in the back of my head…and then…then the fucktard decided we would behave and listen to her as she depressed the shit out of him. Ain't nothing worse than guilt to make my boy forget all about sex. _Son of a bitch._

After she finally calmed him down and had him in better spirits the fucker remembered that idiotic dream he had in his coma. _Fuck my life._

I tried everything to get him to rethink his decision. I even tried wrestling the damn tape from his fingers. He was making a huge mistake. I kept ragging on him hoping like hell he would reconsider….of course he wouldn't, he was too much of an idiot... Then I put all of my hope in Bella. She had turned him down for the simple request of living with us, so I thought for sure she would say no to something as life altering as marriage.

Of course that was just wishful fucking thinking. The damn woman said yes immediately. _Double fuck my life…_

Just as I was contemplating suicide I heard it. The moan. I know what that moan means. I fucking live for that moan. Hell, I would die for that moan. That moan only means one thing… I was getting some pus-sy!

I freshened up just in time for her to sit right down on me. _Oh fucking glorious pussy how I have missed thee…_

There I was enjoying the shit out of some dry humping foreplay when…

WHAT IN THE FUCKING HELL?

I was pissed. A fucking hospital gown…I hadn't had to bust a nut in a piece of clothing since high school. What a bunch of bull-fucking-shit.

Oh well…at least it wasn't Eddie boy's hand who got me off this time…But, fuck, I was still beyond pissed.

The nurse came in and checked him over and started to leave. I had to actually remind him to have her remove the tube going down my throat. What a fucking dipshit.

After the nurse left, Eddie shocked the shit out of me and jumped out of the bed and went all caveman on Bella. I was rubbing my hands together thinking for sure I was getting some pussy now.

Mother. Fucking. Holy. Hell.

I was infuriated at both of them by this point. I had decided right then and there that the next time Edward needed me, I was going to stay flaccid. Fuck the dumb shit. It's payback bitch! Then Bella cupped her hand around me and that threat went right out the window. _Fucking testosterone…_

I stayed hard for quite a while after that. _That'll show them…_

Then I heard that voice…that voice that makes me curl up in the corner, whimpering and crying. Esme. The chick was cool and all, but damn she sure knew how to embarrass a guy. And nothing makes a man go limp faster than his momma talking about sex right in front of the very person he plans to bend over and fuck senseless as soon as they are alone. Yeah, Esme is a huge erection deterrent.

As if he was just rubbing it in my face, Edward grabbed that damn ring and knelt down and proposed _again_…What I would have given to see her say no at that point…That would be some funny shit right there. Leave it to Bella to not have second thoughts.

I was in hiding for quite some time while those damn women squealed and celebrated the end of life as I knew it. I had really hoped that Esme wouldn't be able to find that fucking ring. Then again, even _that_ probably wouldn't have stopped Eddie boy.

After the Wicked Witch of Sex left, Edward and Bella started talking about kids. My ears perked right up then…sex was totally my department right there.

Hell fucking yes! They were both anxious to get started on making babies. This could be a very good thing…oh wait…of _course_ they didn't mean tonight, what in the hell was I thinking?

* * *

The next morning was heavenly waking up pressed into Bella's sexy ass. That is until she stopped any further progress. And to think…she used to want it as bad as we did. _What has gotten into her?_

I convinced Edward to give in to a quick session in the shower after the doctor left. I knew there was no hope for going soft after the way I woke up.

However, the relief didn't last long. As soon as we came out of the shower Edward shoved me right back into that sweet ass again. _He's a fucking masochist…and he's determined to take me down with him._

As if things weren't already bad enough, he pulled her down on his lap when we were heading out to the truck. _How do you plan to pull yourself out of this one, fuckwit?_

Bella saved his ass right then by distracting the nurse so he could stand up, but Edward was never the brightest bulb in the pack. He started talking about trouble and whips and leather…and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fucking drooling at the thought (literally)…but Edward hadn't heard the nurse coming up behind him. He was mortified when she started giggling. I was laughing so hard that I nearly choked on my own…er…drool. Then when Bella insinuated that she had used an ass plug on Edward I lost it. I think I lost consciousness from laughing so hard and hyperventilating.

* * *

I know I have told you how much I like sex. I am a dick…if I didn't like sex I would be a pussy…well, not all pussies, 'cause shit Bella's sure liked to fuck as much as I did. _Daaamn!_

Anyway…sex with Bella has always been glorious. That woman knew how to use her tongue, her fingers, hell, everything that belonged to her was a weapon of mass sexulation. (I have no clue if that is a word or not, but dammit, it sure as fuck should be with the way that woman manipulates all things sex related.)

So, I was a bit excited knowing that we were heading back to the house…alone…and horny…with Bella…and Bella's pussy…and did I mention horny? Yeah, excited was an understatement.

Let me tell you…I had never, I repeat _NEVER_ fucked like we fucked that day. Holy fuck! They were slamming each other back and forth against the walls and the more stuff I heard fall or break the harder I got. I love it when Eddie goes all caveman on Bella, but…_fuck me…_Bella going all cavewoman? That is the hottest shit I have ever seen.

I was getting a bit impatient when he splayed her out on the table and started eating her pussy. Fuck that, I wanted in on the action, too. He finished her up and they both stood and that magnificent woman had me in her mouth faster than you can say 'deepthroat'.

I was about to go medieval on Edward's ass when he stopped her from sucking and then I realized he was just wanting to put me someplace even more heavenly. _Fuck yes!_

And he was even so thoughtful as to bend her over the couch for me…best fucking position in history.

It didn't take me very long, but I am not ashamed to admit it this time. If you were in my position…my _literal_ position, you would have done the same thing. I came so hard up in her fucking pussy that it probably hit the back of her throat anyway. _Welcome home Dick…welcome home._

* * *

I can't honestly tell you a whole lot about what happened over the next few weeks. Bella stayed with us now, so of course I was in her every chance I could get. You gotta love her…she never turned us down. But during those weeks, life was complete chaos. Poor Bella was being dragged every which direction by that pygmy friend of hers. Edward took everything in stride. He was just on cloud nine.

Well, that was until the evil twin of Wicked Witch of Sex came over—the Wicked Witch of Anti-Sex. I would take Esme over Renee any day. I don't think it took long for Edward to agree with me. I knew the night they hid the toilet paper in order to have an excuse to leave that Renee was grating on Edward's nerves just as bad as mine. _No one_ was getting any with her in the house. Luckily Bella was a horny ass just like me and she found a place not too far from the house for them to sneak off to every night and have a quickie…or two.

So now here we are…the day before the funeral…uh, I mean _wedding_ (gag). I had hoped for another night of steaming hot sex in the woods, as usual, but Bella has to stay away from her darling Edward on the eve of their wedding because it is tradition. _Fuck tradition, I'm horny._

Edward is in seventh heaven. He reminds me of Tiny Tim when he 'Tiptoed Through the Tulips'…gay ass motherfucker. Even as I hum Chopin's 'Funeral March' repeatedly, he has a fucking smile on his face and a spring in his step. _Wake me when it's over…_

* * *

I wake up and Edward is up before me…that _never_ happens. Either I was trying to stay unconscious as long as possible or he really is a fucking pansy and can't wait to 'meet her at the altar' as he so eloquently put it on his little pathetic attempt at romance. Again, _Fuck my life…_

Eddie boy starts getting dressed for the day and…

"What in the holy fuck are you thinking dude? I know this is a horrible day for both of us, but getting married isn't a contact sport for fuck's sake. You don't need a damn jockstrap." I snarl at him. _No way in hell is he getting me in that fucking thing ever again…_

He simply continues to pull the fucker up over me and says, "Look, I know you…and I know that you can't get within twenty feet of Bella without pitching a tent and I am not about to be humiliated in front of God and everybody by sporting wood at the altar when I say, 'I do,' so fuck you, it stays. Besides, I was going to revert to the banana hammock, but I think we both learned our lesson from that back in high school. So be thankful for this. This is the best for both of us. And _another_ thing…it's only a matter of hours before you get to be buried so deep in Bella that you will forget all about this fucking jockstrap. Now shut the hell up."

Well, he does have a point. I hate it when he's right.

* * *

As I look around the room, I start counting all of the prospects that I am missing out on boning. Thirty-three…well, thirty-five if you count Bella's twin lesbian cousins that I 'm pretty sure I could convince to bat for the other team. _Fuck are they hot…it must be in that Swan blood…_

But Eddie is oblivious…he only has eyes for _Isabella_…ugh. Every single fuckhot woman that walks through that door doesn't do a damn thing for him. Whipped, I tell ya….fucking whipped.

It must be getting close to time because Edward is shifting from foot to foot. I snicker up at him and ask him if he is getting cold feet finally and he tells me his only concern is that he screws up his vows. He knows he is making the right choice and I should shut my trap if I plan to get some tonight. _Yeah, like he would hold out on sex tonight just as punishment for me….fat chance there Pervy Magoo._

Suddenly I crack my head on the damn plastic cup that is surrounding me. _Shit!_ Again, Edward was right. Bella stands at the opened doors in front of us (I estimate it to be about fifty feet, so he was a bit wrong on proximity). Damn is that woman beautiful. _Wait, what?_ _What the fuck am I saying? I just want her pussy…that's all I care about…FUCK!_

Bella starts walking up the aisle and I can hear Edward's heart start to race. She smiles the most gorgeous smile I'd ever seen and I'd be willing to bet she'd give angels a run for their money in the beauty department. _Damn…no…no, no, no! I can't be thinking like this. Pussy, pussy…that's all I want is her pussy…_

She makes it to the altar and Edward takes her by the hand as they turn from the crowd. Suddenly I feel all warm and tingly…and sex is the farthest thing from my mind. _Son of a fucking bitch! Edward has been brainwashing me! He's turned me into a pansy ass just like him!_

This isn't right. Nothing about this is right. I'm not supposed to be happy when my man Eddie signs away his rights to random pussy for the rest of his existence. I'm not supposed to smile when he attaches that ball and chain to his ankle. I'm not supposed to be looking forward to (gulp) cuddling…

I try…I try so very hard to dredge up anger or resentment or sadness…anything except for this euphoric feeling of…dare I say it? _Love._ What has this world come to when a dick falls in love?

* * *

If I were a fucking chick I would tell you that the ceremony is beautiful and romantic and just perfect. But since I am not a fucking chick, let's get on with the story.

I listen to Emmett sing one of the worst renditions of Adam Sandler's 'Grow Old With You' while the guests bust out laughing when he sings "Even let you hold the remote control." Leave it to Emmett to be the life of the party.

Rose gets up and quotes 'The Marriage of Dawn' by Yuvarani Sami* to which many women start sniffling and patting their eyes with Kleenex. _Puh-leez._

Jasper. My man, Jasper. You gotta love him. He simply gets up and says (in his slow, southern drawl mind you),

_Edward and Bella no sooner met but they looked, no_

_sooner looked but they loved, no sooner loved but they_

_sighed, no sooner sighed but they asked one another the_

_reason, no sooner knew the reason but they sought the_

_remedy; and in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs_

_to marriage, which they will climb incontinent, or else be_

_incontinent before marriage. They are in the very wrath of_

_love, and they will together. Clubs cannot part them._

He doesn't even make it away from the mic when Emmett says, "And for those who aren't fluent in Shakespeare, that simply means they had to get married because they are too horny not to!"

Rose slaps him upside the head and he blurts out, "What? I googled that shit!"

The whole room erupts with laughter. Edward and I are just thankful that everyone in attendance is already perverted otherwise that might have been embarrassing.

The rest of the ceremony continues without a hitch. We jump into the limo to make our way to the reception.

Edward and Bella are all over each other. I perk right up thinking that we might make a pit stop. Bella's hand runs up Edward's thigh and she comes in contact with his jockstrap when suddenly everything stops.

"Edward…"

Edward attempts to distract her by kissing her neck, but Bella isn't an idiot.

She starts giggling and asks, "Would you like to tell me what the hell is between your legs?"

Ever persistent Edward continues to explore her neck and mumbles against her skin, "No…"

By this point Bella is full out laughing.

Edward nips at her neck and she squeals. "You are ruining our ride, my darling wife," Edward grins and pulls her into his lap. _Sweet mother of pearl…_

I try desperately hard to come out from under the fucking cup but I'm starting to think Edward might have sewed it on.

The limo pulls over and Edward moans. "I don't wanna get out."

"Mr. Cullen…you and I will be on our honeymoon in a matter of hours. Let's go humor our guests and make an appearance at _our_ reception, then we can spend the next week together completely naked if that's what you want." Bella giggles as she pushes Edward's hands away repeatedly.

"Is that a promise _Mrs._ Cullen? Not a stitch of clothes for an entire week?"

Bella slaps his hand and reaches for the door handle but pauses. "Yes, but first you must explain the predicament your have put Dick in…"

* * *

Bella had a good laugh when Edward explained why he was sporting a jockstrap. She continued to laugh until they walked into the reception hall. Edward excused himself to 'remove the obstruction' and headed to the restroom.

He is now giving me a pep talk. He promises great things if I behave myself. Who does he think he is? His mind is as much in the gutter as mine is…okay, well maybe not, but…well, it's pretty damn close.

So I make all of these promises I don't intend to keep and we walk back out to find Bella.

Everyone takes their seats and the speeches begin. I kinda doze off for this part…I'm too busy daydreaming of that week of nakedness Bella promised to Eddie boy.

A couple of times Bella interrupts my fantasies by rubbing on Edward's thigh. Of course, she never goes any further. _Thanks for that…_

Once the speeches are over and toasts have been made they announce the first dance. Edward graciously takes Bella by the hand and leads her out onto the dance floor. It starts out slow and sensual (and I puke in my mouth a little) but once everyone joins in, Edward pulls Bella closer to whisper in her ear. When he does, I feel her luscious hip and I can't help but spring to life. I tried. I tried so fucking hard. I held my damn nose so I could be near her and not get hard. It's his own fault for pulling her close.

"Psst Edward…" I try to suggest for Edward and Bella to go someplace where they can be alone, but he attempts to ignore me. So I get a little more persistent (aka get harder).

I might poke Bella a bit too hard. She gasps and then giggles. "I knew it wouldn't last. What made you lose the cup?"

Edward's response is to simply pull her close and say, "Do you think anyone will notice if we sneak out for about thirty minutes?" _Chalk one up for the Dickmeister!_

"I haven't had the dance with my father yet, Edward…I think he might notice." _Scratch that chalking…_

"Baby, please…I had to sleep all alone last night. You don't know how incredibly difficult it was for me to fall asleep without you by my side." _MY ASS!!_

She sighs. _Yes! And the chalk is mine again!_

Edward conspiratorially makes a plan for them to leave the room separately so as to not attract any attention. Fucking idiots act like teenagers trying not to get caught. _You're married you nitwits! What the hell is the purpose of getting married if you can't hump like jackrabbits?_

Bella politely excuses herself to the restroom as Edward speaks briefly to his mother's sister's cousin's uncle's second wife, twice removed. (No, but seriously, I have no clue who the old bag is…I'm not even sure he does either.)

Edward looks over his shoulder to make sure no one is looking and slips silently out of the room. _Seriously?_

Edward begins walking down the hall when he suddenly realizes he hadn't made plans of _where_ to meet Bella. Lucky for him, her elevator actually reached the top floor (unlike his) and she _had_ made a plan. She grabs him by the elbow and they scurry off toward a darker hall. At the very end of the hall is a room and Bella pulls Edward into it.

There is a tiny amount of light in the room due to the thick drapes that are covering the windows, but the amount of light is enough for us to see the grand piano at the back of the room…and nothing else. My heart skips a beat. _Surely she isn't planning…_

Yes, yes she is. _WELL SLAP MY ASS AND CALL ME SUZY!_

Bella pulls us over to the piano and pushes Edward down onto the bench all seductive-like. _Yes! Yes! YES!!!_

Edward tries to grab Bella's waist and she stops him, "Un un uh!" she says in a sing-song voice. He looks at her questioningly and when she starts to remove his tie he decides he will let her have the reins.

Once she has his tie undone and his jacket off, she starts to undo his belt.

She doesn't completely remove his pants, which confuses me. I'm pretty sure we needed to be…

Or maybe not…

Bella barely slips me out of my confines before I am thrust into her mouth. _FUCK YES!!_

"Fuck, Bella!" Edward gasps. _Yeah, total surprise there, huh buddy boy?_

Bella licks and sucks and the whole time Edward is moaning and hissing and grabbing handfuls of her hair. _Well, I doubt they are going to walk back into that reception unnoticed…_

"Bella…fuck…I need to be in you…" Edward groans.

Without missing a beat, Bella raises up, gathers up all of her gown and straddles right down onto me…

"Fuck, baby! Have you been commando all night?" Edward just might be hyperventilating.

"I'm not _that_ stupid, Edward!" She reaches down the top of her dress and pulls out her sexy purple panties and stuffs them in Edward's pocket. "I removed them while you mingled trying to make us inconspicuous!" She starts giggling, "Now shut up and fuck me, husband!" _Damn! I love when she talks dirty!_

"I love it when you talk dirty, baby! Fuck!" Edward echoes. _Hmm…so far marriage isn't all that bad…_

* * *

Just as I suspected, when Edward and Bella walked back into the room (separately of course, to continue the idiotic charade) they received many knowing looks, quiet giggles, and one not-so-quiet comment from Emmett that was "disguised" as a cough.

Bella then danced with her dad and Edward danced with Esme…actually, more like Edward held Esme while she bawled her eyes out telling him how happy she was for him.

Then Bella danced with Carlisle and Edward danced with Renee…that's four minutes of our life we will never get back…

Finally, all of the dances had been danced and all of the toasts had been toasted and garter belt and bouquet thrown (Alice knocked everyone down in front of Rose so that the bouquet would land right in her hands…) and it was time for Edward and Bella to head to Tahiti.

There were tears coming from every direction and I just wanted to get the hell outta Dodge! That was too much estrogen for my liking.

In the limo, on the way to the airport, Bella has her legs draped across Edward's lap. She had since lost the atrocity known as her wedding gown and settled for a bright yellow sundress. Edward is massaging her feet since she had been cramped in her heels all day. Her little soft moans are starting to get to me. What can I say? I told you I know what her moans mean. Granted, these didn't mean sex, but testosterone can't tell the difference.

Edward grins, "So…did you really mean complete nakedness for the entire week?"

Bella half moans, half giggles, "Maybe…however, since we will be in Tahiti, we might need to actually sight-see for at least a little bit. I know I want to swim in that gorgeous water…"

"Well…we don't have to have clothes to swim…" Edward wiggles his eyebrows.

"What am I going to do with you, husband?" Bella sighs in contentment.

"You have the rest of your life to figure that out, my darling wife. Bring on the shackles, I'm your prisoner."

_Did someone mention shackles?_

***The Marriage of Dawn**

_Author: Yuvarani Sami_

Dawn dressed in darkness

Welcomes the lights of wedding

The day two hearts joining together

Two souls joining together

Bound by love.

A wedding is the entrance to a marriage

Stepping from a fairy tale carriage

Into quite ordinary air.

The realization comes,

Life is a beautiful dance

Requiring intense coordination.

The hearts are beating

Slightly faster than others,

Nervousness seeps through

For both the groom and the bride

Awaiting the great moment

Two selves, one life; two notes, one harmony

Loving not just one, but both of you.

Friends and family

Joined together

In the wedding bliss

To wish them love

To wish them happiness

To wish them great future together.

We wish them to find

Joy is in the simple things

Touching, embracing,

Like coming home knowing,

When your eyes meet and no words need to be said.

They already knew

Long before the sound of wedding bells

Love for each other till the very end

Still, we wish them love for each other till the very end.

So, let us listen to the sound of wedding bells

And join in the rhythm of joy

In the celebration of love.

**Farewell my wonderful Dick. I will miss you greatly! (if you haven't read my outtakes, he has another chapter over there—hehe)**

**Please give Dick your love with a review (if you want…it will make him smile! Lol)**

**Thanks again for reading!!!**


	26. EPILOGUE!

**IT'S THE EPI! IT'S HERE! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??**

**For my rehabian friends—There is a bit of a surprise in this chapter for each of you who have been with me from the beginning (or at least early on). I hope you like it. It took a lot of work and a lot of sneakiness, lol. I love you all and I couldn't have done this without your support! **

***Hug hug, kiss kiss, hug hug, big kiss, little hug, kiss kiss, little kiss* (who can tell me what movie that is from?)**

**One last time (at least for FD), I would like to thank my magnificent, wonderful, glorious, magnanimous, terrific, awesome betas Allysue08 and Spellboundagain. You guys are my numero uno (yes, BOTH of you are number one—don't fight over it!), my top dog! I luv you guys soooo much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!**

**As always, I don't own them, but I love them hehe**

**Also, I would like to thank Jen9394 for the Jake idea! What a wonderful idea!**

**I would also like to thank Alitriona for the very beginning scene…not quite what you asked for, but it was a good idea ;)**

"On the count of three, I need you to push," Dr. Markle said.

It was incredibly hard to watch this. Watching her go through this pain and I couldn't take it from her was one of the hardest things I had ever had to go through in my life.

"One…"

She growled.

"Two…"

She cursed.

"Three! Puuuush!"

She grunted and squeezed the ever-loving shit out of my hand as she screamed, "Fuck you, Lucas, it'll be a cold day in hell before you ever come near me again!"

I looked over at Lucas and mouthed the words, "I'm sorry. It'll be okay." Poor guy…ever since her first contraction, he looked like someone who was watching a cat being skinned alive. All the color had drained from his face and he hadn't muttered a single word.

"It's a girl!" Dr. Markle announced. She handed the baby to Allyson and all of the anger and hatred she had mere seconds before for her poor husband had dissipated and was replaced by complete and utter joy.

"Hello, my angel," Allyson kissed her forehead before the nurse took the baby to clean her up.

I looked down at her and smiled, "You did good, baby…you did so good. Now take a deep breath. Are you ready to get that other baby out?"

* * *

I opened the swinging door to head back to the waiting room when I ran smack dab into Edward.

"Is she okay? Are the babies here? Are they okay?"

I grinned at him and shook my head, "Come on, Grandpa, there are some people who would like to meet you."

"Grandpa…man, that is going to take some getting used to. How did we get so old?" He wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked back towards our daughter's room.

"Hey! Fifty is not old, mister!"

We walked into the room and Allyson looked exhausted. She lifted her head slightly and smiled her father's signature crooked grin.

"It's 12:43, do you know what that means?"

Edward and I looked at each other and shrugged.

"Happy _Silver_ Anniversary, Mom and Dad. Come and meet your granddaughters, Karen and Katie Garver."

* * *

After Edward and I spent some time with Allyson and the babies, we decided to head home for the evening. We stepped off of the elevator once we reached the lobby and my heart fell out of my chest.

"Bella? Bella, is that you? Oh my God! It's been ages!"

I swallowed hard and my voice squeaked as I said, "Hello, Jake."

I felt Edward stiffen beside me and I was suddenly very nervous as to how he would react, but before I could say a word to try to alleviate any tension, he stuck his hand forward and spoke, "Jacob Black? It's nice to finally meet you! I'm Edward Cullen and I've been wanting to speak with you for ages."

My stomach twisted at the thought of what he could possibly have to say.

Jake looked at him questioningly and said, "Nice to meet you as well…you've been wanting to speak to _me_ for ages? Really? Why is that?"

Edward grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "I owe you so much, man. You have no idea! If it wasn't for you, I never would have met Isabella, here. I never would have married her and I would not be celebrating my 25th anniversary with her along with welcoming our first grandchildren into the world as we are today. None of this would have been possible if not for you. I don't think I could ever thank you enough."

Jake was clenching his jaw and I saw a glimpse of sadness in his eyes, but he quickly recovered and attempted to grin, but it looked more like a grimace. "I'm glad to hear it man, and congratulations you two. Twenty-five years…that's amazing!"

"What about you Jake? Did you and Leah ever get married?" I asked him grinning, because I knew that Jake and Leah had broken up because he found her cheating on him. _Turn about __is__ fair play…_

Jake looked at me as if I punched him in the gut. "You…how do you know about Leah?"

"So, are you telling me that after all of these years you _never_ figured out why I left? You just thought I walked out?" I gave him a look saying he was an idiot if he believed that.

Jake hung his head and mumbled, "Shit, Bella…I'm so sorry. I was an ass. I can't believe you knew. How…how did you find out?"

"That's the best part, Jake. I had front row tickets to the Jakeah dinner show…well, it was on the _dinner table_, not exactly **at** dinnertime, huh?" I rolled my eyes. It was really dumb to be going down memory lane at this point. It was over, and done. It brought me to Edward so it was obviously a good thing in the end.

Jake looked at me apologetically, "God, I can't even imagine what that must have felt like. I am so very sorry. I know it doesn't help, but I really am sorry. For what it's worth, I got my comeuppance. It wasn't quite as horrible as what you went through, but I found out Leah wasn't faithful to me either, so no, we never married. In fact, I never found anyone I wanted to marry. I found out that…" He sighed and looked down at his feet. I barely heard him as he said, "My heart will always belong to someone else."

Ok, this was getting awkward, so I had to change the subject.

"So, what are you doing here, Jake? Are you visiting someone?" I asked him, simply to be polite…and also to shift the conversation into a more comfortable topic.

"My dad…he, um…had to have open-heart surgery a few days ago. He's doing well, now." He pressed his lips together in a tight smile.

"I'm sorry to hear that he had to have surgery, but I'm glad he's doing better. I hope he continues to recover." I gave him a reassuring smile, "Listen, I hate to run, but we've been here since eight last night and I am exhausted, Edward and I need to get some sleep. It was good seeing you again, Jake." _That wasn't entirely true, but it was quite rewarding to see his reaction to Edward's little speech._

"Yeah, you too, Bella. And it was very nice meeting you, Edward. Congratulations again, guys." Jake shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away quickly.

I turned to Edward with a look of amazement, "What was that? You had me scared to death! I thought you were going to sucker punch him or something…huh…you can still surprise me after all of these years." I grinned up at him and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I've had a lot of years to think about how Jacob actually did me a favor by breaking your heart. Don't get me wrong, I hate that you ever had your heart broken, but you would have never run into your Gigi if it wasn't …and, well…I never would have gotten my sugar momma!"

"Hey!!" I slapped his chest and he 'oomph'd' but chuckled and wrapped his arms around me.

"I love you, Bella…and I always will. Happy Anniversary, Mrs. Cullen." He kissed my nose and then wiggled his eyebrows, "Now, let's go home and celebrate the right way." _Of course…horny old bastard…__some things never change…_

* * *

I was sleeping soundly when the phone woke me. I looked at the clock and since it was already noon, I answered groggily.

Allyson giggled, "Hello, Mom. I'm sorry to wake you after you had such a _horribly_ rough night last night…maybe not as rough as I did, but still…" She laughed a bit louder this time. "I needed to tell you something since things won't go according to plan now. Are you awake enough to listen?"

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, "Of course, baby. What's up?"

"Well, we had a surprise party planned for you tonight, but I'm the one who organized it and since these little boogers decided to come early, I can't exactly follow through. However, I've made arrangements for other people to take my place in the activities, so it's still going to happen. Now I know you hate parties and being the center of attention, but tough. You only get a Silver anniversary once and this is special." She sighed. "Since I was supposed to coerce you into going out with me tonight and then surprise you with the party, that kinda puts a damper on the plans. So, I am cashing in my 'New Mommy' card and telling you that you have no choice but to go to the party of your own accord. No 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts' about it. Do this for your darling daughter that just popped two five-pound bowling balls out of her vajayjay."

We both laughed and I reluctantly agreed.

The next twenty minutes were spent with her telling me what Edward and I needed to wear to look perfect. _Thank you, Alice__, __for turning my daughter into your __own __MiniMe._

I promised to go along with everything she suggested and also to be on time, and then we ended the call. I was upset that she had gone through all of the trouble to arrange this party and she wouldn't even be able to attend it. I grabbed my camera and camcorder and decided no matter how much I hated the attention, I would get lots of pictures and footage just for her sake.

I scooted closer to Edward and began to wake him up…his _favorite_ way.

* * *

Alice had called me three times after Allyson's call to make sure that I wasn't backing out. The third time I nearly screamed in her ear that I had made a promise and I wasn't going to back out on my first-born child no matter how badly I wanted to. She finally believed me.

Edward and I pulled into the parking lot fifteen minutes early, so we took our time walking to the entrance. We had barely opened the door when Kristine bum rushed the two of us, nearly knocking us both over. "Mom, Dad! You're here! Happy Anniversary!"

Kristine was a tiny little thing, but thanks to her older brother, she was as tough as nails. He always forced her to help him with football practice at home, so she was excellent at tackling.

"Hey sweetie! Did you have fun at Rose and Emmett's today?" I asked, getting my balance by holding onto her shoulders.

"Oh yeah! Man, Max and Martyn are so much fun. I can't wait until they get into high school football instead of this middle school junk." She laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the room.

Edward just laughed and sarcastically said, "Hey Dad, how are you? I miss you."

Kristine just shook her head, "Dad, quit being a drama queen. I've only been gone for two days, sheesh. What are you going to do next year when I go off to college?"

Edward grumbled, "The same thing I did with your sister and brother…sulk for a month."

And boy, he wasn't lying. When Allyson went away to college, Edward didn't smile for weeks. Of course, he was happy that she was going to college, but apparently he wasn't ready to 'lose' his little girl. It was even worse when she announced her engagement. I was absolutely dreading what would happen when Kristine eventually found someone. Heaven forbid his _baby girl_ should find another man for her world to revolve around.

We had only made it about twenty feet when Matthew caught sight of us and came over, pulling Marybeth right along with him. Matthew was our 'lil Emmett. When he was sixteen he was already bigger than Edward and almost as big as Emmett, but already could take them both down in football. Now, at twenty-one no one could touch him. He was a tank. But, also like Emmett, he was a big ole teddy bear. The sweetest boy you would ever meet. Marybeth had been his girlfriend for three years and she was just as sweet. They made the cutest couple and I expected an engagement announcement from them sooner rather than later.

"Hey hon, how are you? How are things at school?" Of course, I knew how things were—I talked to him at least three times a week—but he loved to brag about school, so I liked to give him the opportunity.

"Well, things are going really good, but I have to admit that I am glad this is my last semester. I am anxious to go pro. I'm sick of playing against the wussies that some of these colleges have on their teams." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, I have to say that I can't wait to have even more of a reason to watch the Seahawks this upcoming season. I already have a jersey ready to put your number on _when_ you get one." Edward was convinced that just because the Seahawks had spoken to Matthew last year about a place on the team that he would be drafted this year. Matthew and I weren't as sure as he was, but it was nice to see his dad supporting him so enthusiastically.

Edward slapped Matthew hard on the back and we continued to walk toward the center of the room where the tables were set up.

I heard her before I saw her. "Bella!! You guys made it!"

I rolled my eyes, "I thought we established that I was _definitely_ going to make it tonight, Alice."

"Yes, but I know you, Bella…you try to get out of everything…especially if you are the guest of honor." She giggled and wrapped me in a hug and then whispered, "Happy Anniversary, Belcher!"

I elbowed her and laughed, "Of all the names you have given me over the years, that is by far the grossest one!"

She laughed and released me only to wrap Edward in a bear hug. He chuckled and greeted her.

Jasper and Emmett came up, both fist-bumping Edward and giving me a quick hug, also wishing us a happy anniversary.

"Where's Rose?" I questioned Emmett.

"Oh, she'll be here. Regina decided to jump on the trampoline right after eating ice cream and she ended up puking all over Rose's outfit that she was wearing tonight. So, of course, instead of picking out another outfit, she simply _had_ to wait for that outfit to wash and dry. But, I took the kids to the sitter, so she should only be about ten minutes late," he grinned widely.

Poor Rose, she had such a rough time with her unexpected surprise six years ago in the form of little Regina. After Rose had given birth to their second son, Max, when Martyn was two, she was sure that they were done having kids. She had so many complications with that pregnancy that the doctor insisted on her either going on birth control or getting her tubes tied. She went with the birth control option, but almost six years later fell in that 2 percent bracket of people that managed to get pregnant. Regina was a wonderful little girl, but she had the energy of squirrel…on crack. She ran Rose ragged.

Carol and Carissa had been following behind Jasper with huge grins. Jasper, always taking things in stride, was never one to complain - but if he ever had a right it was when Alice gave birth to a girl instead of a boy…twice. I did not envy him living in the house with three Alices…especially since two of them were in their teens. Carissa was the youngest, but had a good head on her shoulders. Carol was a bit of a wild child. They had to keep a close eye on her. Still, they were both wonderful girls.

Suddenly, I was being wrapped from behind by rather thick arms. He lifted me off of my feet and spun me around.

I squealed, "William Masen Cullen! Put me down!" He laughed and spun me two more times before he set me on my feet.

Will was our baby. He was fifteen and the spitting image of Edward. They were even so similar in size that they sometimes shared clothes. It was actually quite funny seeing Edward wearing Will's teen shirts…especially the one that had a horseshoe magnet with a bunch of baby chicks stuck to it and the words 'Chick Magnet' underneath. That was his favorite one to steal, too. _Men!_

Will's girlfriend, Laura, smiled politely and said, "Happy anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen."

I wrapped my arms around her and shook my head, "How many times do I have to tell you to call us by our first names? You make us sound so old." I giggled and released her.

"I'm sorry Mrs…I mean _Bella_, it takes some getting used to." She smiled shyly, "My parents are so old-fashioned. They don't believe in adults being called by their first names." She chuckled quietly.

"I'm looking for those _OLD_ grandparents who are celebrating a quarter of a century being crazy fools in love!" Rosalie shouted from the entrance.

Emmett shouted, "Let the party begin!"

Everyone hooted and hollered and began clapping.

I looked toward the front of the room to see Kristine setting up a projection screen. _Oh joy…_

Everyone found their seats—each seat had a name card in front of the place setting.

Kristine grabbed the mic as she opened her laptop. "As I'm sure everyone knows, my sister, Allyson, gave birth to twin girls early this morning. Unfortunately she cannot be here for this celebration, even though she was the one who did all of the hard work. However, thanks to the wonderful creation of the internet and the technology of webcams, Allyson will be attending via videochat." As she said the word 'videochat', she flipped a switch and Allyson appeared on the overhead smiling and waving frantically. She had put on makeup and fixed her hair since I had last seen her early that morning. She was positively glowing. "Everyone say, 'Hello' to Allyson!"

The room erupted with shouts and whistles and Allyson laughed and pretended to do a curtsy.

"Hello everybody! I really wish I could be there, but I'm stuck in this god-awful hospital…but I am also stuck between two amazingly beautiful girls." She moved the webcam to the right and said, "Meet Karen everyone." Everyone ooh'd and ahhh'd and then she moved the camera to the left and said, "And now meet Katie." Again ooh's and ahh's were heard all around. "And now, for the main event. Happy Anniversary to my mom and dad. Guys, get the toast ready."

Jasper, Emmett, Michael and Will stood up and walked to the side of the room. They each came back with their arms full. Will was carrying wine glasses while the others had bottles of champagne. Will placed a glass in front of each person and the others placed a bottle on each table.

Once everything was passed out, people began pouring champagne into their glasses. Emmett stood behind the mic stand and waited. Once everyone had their glass, Emmett raised his. "Edward and Bella are one of the happiest couples I have ever met. In the last twenty-five years, I think I have seen them argue two times (both of them Edward's fault)." Emmett busted out laughing. "They have been greatly blessed as well. They have four of the most amazing kids you will ever have the privilege of knowing…and I am quite sure their new grandbabies will be just as wonderful. Happy Anniversary guys, and may you have another fifty years together!"

Everyone shouted their agreement and took a sip.

Jasper, Matthew, and Will followed with their own toasts.

Allyson cleared her throat and everyone looked to her expectantly. Her voice shook as she said, "I'm not going to make a toast because…well, let's face it…I am normally a big cry baby and right now my hormones are going haywire, so that does not make a good combination." She giggled along with the rest of the room. "However, I've created a bit of a montage to share. Many of these are self-explanatory, but I have given captions to each one for a greater effect." She grinned wickedly. _This __was__ not__ going to__ end well…_

A picture appeared on the screen where Allyson had been previously. The picture was from our wedding day. Edward had a handful of cake to shove in my face, but I ducked quickly and smashed two handfuls into his beautiful copper hair. It took him 45 minutes in the bathroom to get a good portion of it out, but he didn't get it all out until much later.

The caption read, "The beginning of the era known as 'Bella outsmarts Edward'…an era that goes on to this day."

Edward grumbled, "She has more years of college than I do, cut me some slack!"

The guests, who were already laughing, now began laughing hysterically.

Once the room died down, the next picture popped up. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. This was a picture I took on our honeymoon. Edward swore up and down that he saw a spider crawling up his sleeve. He started screaming like a girl and ripped the buttons off of his shirt as he worked to remove it while spinning and doing some crazy psycho dance in the middle of the floor. He had his shirt off, but apparently that wasn't good enough. Still screaming, spinning and hopping around, he lifted his foot to try to remove his shoe. I snapped the picture right before he lost balance and landed right on his ass.

If everyone hadn't already been laughing, they would have from the caption, "When your wife says dance, you dance dammit!"

The next picture was a close-up of Allyson right after I gave birth to her. Everyone cooed until they read the caption. They all laughed except for Kristine. She shouted, "That's a dang lie!" This only made everyone laugh harder.

The caption simply said, "The most beautiful girl ever born."

The following picture caused a unanimous, "Awww" from the crowd. I looked at Edward and we both snickered. The picture looked sweet enough, but if you knew the story behind it, it wasn't so sweet. Allyson had been tickling Matthew's feet when he was a few months old. He would yank his foot back and she would laugh. This went on for a few minutes until Matthew kicked quite hard and his foot came in contact with Allyson's chin. She got angry and bit his toe and he screamed instantly. I ran over to reprimand her as Edward ran over to grab the camera. I was scolding her telling her how she hurt her baby brother and she started crying saying, "I sowwy, Mommy, but Machew hutted me." I told her she needed to kiss him and make him better so she bent down and kissed his cheek just as Edward snapped the photo. In the photo it seemed as if Matthew was crying and it upset Allyson and she was kissing him to make him feel better. The picture really _was_ adorable, but the situation wasn't so sweet.

The caption said, "Such a loving and caring sister."

Kristine jumped up and ran to the microphone. "Wait, wait, wait! Let me tell you the REAL story behind this!" She told the story and people gasped and giggled all over the room.

Allyson reappeared on the screen grinning from ear to ear. "I knew my sister wouldn't let me get away with making that look sweet and innocent. Still…it's a darling picture, isn't it?"

Everyone mumbled their agreements with a few chuckles here and there.

The pictures continued for another fifteen minutes or so. They ranged from cute and sweet to funny and even a couple of sad ones (like when Matthew's frog escaped and he sat on the porch crying.) There were pics of Rose, Em, Alice, Jasper and all of their kids having outings with us or birthday parties or just spending the day in the yard together.

The final picture took my breath away. I hadn't even realized it was taken. It was Edward and I, each holding one of the babies. We were smiling and had our heads tilted and resting against the other. Our hands were entwined and the babies were lying peacefully in our arms.

The caption read:

_The World's Happiest Grandparents_

_Happy Silver Anniversary_

_We love you monster much!_

I sniffed and wiped the tears that had run down my face. Edward squeezed me and kissed my cheek.

Allyson came back on the screen with a sweet smile, "We really do love you Mom and Dad. We couldn't ask for better parents."

Everyone began clapping and stood as they clapped harder. Will, Matthew, and Kristine came over and grabbed our hands, pulling us to our feet and into a group hug. I gave up on stopping the tears that were now pouring down my face.

Edward pulled away and walked over to Jasper and whispered in his ear. Jasper nodded and walked toward the back of the room.

The lights dimmed and music began to play. I recognized the song immediately. It was the song Edward had been singing to me since our second date. Edward grabbed my hand and said, "May I have this dance, Mrs. Cullen?"

Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and put his lips at my ear and began to sing as we swayed.

_Walking by yourself in the cold, cold winter  
Wrapped up in your coat like  
It's a magic blanket  
You say: "No matter where I go  
They all look like strangers"  
You see, the world only seems  
The fairytale that it isn't_

_Dream on, dream on  
There's nothing wrong  
If you dream on, dream on  
Of being a swan_

_But I know you're thinking..._

_And now you're looking at the sky  
Talking to your angel  
Could he turn this dirty street  
Into a flying carpet?  
But then you say: "I am not scared of anything"  
Such a shy lie silent as the snow that is fallin' down_

_Dream on, dream on  
There's nothing wrong  
If you dream on, dream on  
Of being a swan_

_But I know you're thinking:  
"Am I gonna make it through?"  
Dream on, dream on  
There's nothing wrong  
If you dream on, dream on  
Of being a swan_

_But I know you're thinking:  
"Am I gonna make it though?"_

_Girl on the run  
You don't look back  
What did you see?  
What did you get?  
You're on the run  
Trying to forget  
But in the end  
Is it so bad...  
Being a girl?  
Being a girl?_

The song ended and Edward continued to hold me and rock back and forth. "I love you so much, my Bella. You are my everything. You have completed my life. I could never have asked for a better wife and mother to my children. Thank you for being my soul mate…my _better_ half."

Before I could answer he captured my lips with his and gave me a searing kiss.

Emmett banged the microphone a few times and said, "Ok, ok, save that for later! It's time for the best surprise of the evening!"

Edward's face lit up like Las Vegas Boulevard. I looked at him quizzically and he gave me a quick kiss and rushed up to the microphone.

"I have a final activity before I let you all gorge yourselves on all of this wonderful food. Please be seated and give me your full attention. My darling wife can be easily distracted, so everyone shut your pie holes!"

The room boomed with laughter and I crossed my hands over my chest acting appalled. Edward smirked at me and winked. He cleared his throat.

"This poem was perfect for you, Isabella, in more ways than one. I love you, my valentine.

**A Valentine to My Wife**  
by Eugene Field

_Accept, dear girl, this little token,  
And if between the lines you seek,  
You'll find the love I've often spoken  
The love my dying lips shall speak._

_Our little ones are making merry  
O'er am'rous ditties rhymed in jest,  
But in these words (though awkward very)  
The genuine article's expressed._

_You are as fair and sweet and tender,  
Dear brown-eyed little sweetheart mine,  
As when, a callow youth and slender,  
I asked to be your Valentine._

_What though these years of ours be fleeting?  
What though the years of youth be flown?  
I'll mock old Tempus with repeating,  
"I love my love and her alone!"_

_And when I fall before his reaping,  
And when my stuttering speech is dumb,  
Think not my love is dead or sleeping,  
But that it waits for you to come._

_So take, dear love, this little token,  
And if there speaks in any line  
The sentiment I'd fain have spoken,  
Say, will you kiss your Valentine? _

He looked at me, waiting for my answer, although I had no clue why he would act as if he didn't know. I simply stood up and walked to him and planted a big, wet one on him. People cheered and clapped (and the kids groaned) as we kissed just like it was our very first kiss.

Edward pulled back and said, "I have your present, baby. Stand right here."

He walked over to Emmett and held out his hand. Emmett slapped him on the shoulder and placed something into his palm.

As he began walking toward me, he spoke. "Every year, we go to Coronado Island and stay in the Hotel del Coronado and I know you would much rather not have to stay in a hotel, so…" Edward held up a key, "I bought you a beachhouse."

My jaw dropped as the room filled with applause. I jumped into Edward's arms, nearly knocking him over. I kissed him repeatedly saying how much I loved him between each peck.

Alice coughed beside me reminding me I had a gift to give as well. I bit my lip. I was so nervous after receiving such an extravagant gift, but I knew my Edward. It had always been the thought that counted with him. He was such a wonderful man. I still couldn't believe I was lucky enough to have caught the best catch in the sea.

I grabbed Edward by the hand and pulled him toward the entrance. I opened the door and Carlisle and Esme stood in front of us with proud smiles and said, "Happy Anniversary guys!"

Edward and I were both in shock. His parents had told us they couldn't make it down this year because Esme's hip was acting up again.

Carlisle smiled again and said, "You know your mother, she loves her surprises. It'll be a cold day in hell before she misses one of your anniversaries." He chuckled as Esme swatted his arm.

We exchanged hugs and greetings and discussed the babies for a few minutes when I remembered what we had come outside for.

"Mom, Dad, you can follow us, but I was just taking Edward to see his present from me."

We walked around to the back of the building and Edward froze. "You gotta be shitting me! Did you really? Seriously?"

Edward had been wanting a pontoon boat for the past three years so that he and Charlie could go fishing together when Charlie came to Seattle. I managed to get a really good deal on a fixer-upper and convinced Em and Jazz to help me remodel it. We painted it navy blue and had the seats upholstered with baby blue leather. Everything looked brand new. They had done an amazing job. I had a professional come in to paint a white swan on the topsides and beside the swan were the words, '_Handsome Swan'. _

On the second night of our honeymoon we were flipping through pages of a magazine when we came across a page that said 'The Edward husband' and we stopped to read what it was about. Turns out this woman had married a man named Edward and by all societal standards he was not handsome at all. He had buck teeth, scars all over his face from teenage years of 'crater face' and he had bright red 'Ronald McDonald' hair. The lady went on to say that even though the rest of the world may not agree, her husband lived up to his name, Edward—Handome (of the Celtic origin).

From that point on it was a joke between the two of us that Handsome and Beautiful were destined to be together. Often times we would call each other these pet names. No one ever knew. I thought that the name was fitting because it signified the two most important men in my life.

Edward wrapped his arms around me once more mumbling how lucky he was when I disagreed with him. He stopped and looked at me suddenly.

"No, Handsome, it is I who am the lucky one. I never believed in soul mates until you came along. I almost let you pass me by and then you were almost taken from me. I am truly the one who Destiny has smiled upon. I promised you I would live my life with no regrets, and thanks to you I have done just that. You opened my eyes and helped me to see things clearly. You helped me live again. I love you, my darling, and I'm grateful to spend my life with you."

Edward grinned and kissed my forehead, "Yes, Beautiful, we have had a wonderful life together, haven't we? I wouldn't have it any other way."

He squeezed me and pulled me closer to him…close enough for me to feel…yep, you guessed it.

_My man will probably never need that little blue miracle pill…_

**THE END! **

**Can I have a moment of silence please?**

***sigh***

**Ok! I want to thank each and every one of you for coming along for this crazy ride with me! I have had more fun than I ever planned! Thank you so much for reading and thank you SO VERY much for reviewing! I am totally honored to have passed 1k reviews! I can't believe it!**

**So, I have already started my next fic. It will not be humorous, it will actually be quite dark, so I have no clue how well it will be accepted, lol! So, reviewers will get a bit of a teaser from the new fic. I'm not sure when I will be posting it. I want to have a few chapters written before I start ;)**

**I love you all!**


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